Can Rockies’ Ezequiel Tovar eclipse Troy Tulowitzki as the best shortstop in franchise history?

Ezequiel Tovar is quietly becoming a star.

While the Rockies’ reconstruction project will likely take years, the soft-spoken Tovar is rapidly becoming one of baseball’s best shortstops. And he’s only 22 years old.

Last Tuesday night at the Oakland Coliseum, Tovar had the first two-homer game of his career. His fifth-inning blast traveled 443 feet, his seventh-inning shot went 411. Tovar doesn’t think of himself as a home run hitter, but he’s got plenty of power.

His two-homer night, along with his consistent and oftentimes spectacular defense, got me thinking. Does Tovar have a chance — a chance, mind you — to be the best shortstop in Rockies history?

During spring training, he signed a seven-year, $63.5 million contract with a team option for 2031 that could boost the agreement to $84 million over eight seasons. He’s a bargain and will likely play in purple for a long time.

But will Tovar become good enough to supplant Tulo over the long haul?

For those who might have forgotten, Troy Tulowitzki was a force of nature for much of his 10-year tenure with the Rockies. In 2007, as a rookie, he played with an attitude and a fire that helped the Rockies reach their only World Series. He was a five-time All-Star with a career WAR of 44.5. His 13.9 defensive WAR with the Rockies is exceeded only by Nolan Arenado’s 15.6. Had injuries not derailed his career, Tulo would be a lock for the Hall of Fame.

Tulo, who wanted out of Colorado, was dealt to the Blue Jays at the 2015 trade deadline. But hard feelings about how that trade went down still linger, at least from Tulo’s side. The drama surrounding his departure has soured some fans’ memories of his time in Colorado, but he was a great player.

He could be abrasive, even toward his own teammates (ask Ubaldo Jimenez), but he gave the Rockies an edge they needed.

A look at the back of Tulo’s baseball card reminds you of how good he was in his prime. Consider his 2009 season when the Rockies made the playoffs with what was arguably the best team in franchise history. Tulo slashed .297/.377/.522 with 32 homers, 25 doubles, 92 RBIs and 20 stolen bases and finished fifth in the NL MVP voting.

DENVER, CO - APRIL 18: Colorado batter Troy Tulowitzki watched his home run ball head for the fence in the second inning. The Colorado Rockies hosted the Philadelphia Phillies Friday night, April 18, 2014 at Coors Field.  (Photo by Karl Gehring/The Denver Post)
DENVER, CO – APRIL 18: Colorado batter Troy Tulowitzki watched his home run ball head for the fence in the second inning. The Colorado Rockies hosted the Philadelphia Phillies Friday night, April 18, 2014 at Coors Field. (Photo by Karl Gehring/The Denver Post)

I’m not forgetting about Trevor Story, who had a terrific six-season run with Colorado before departing as a free agent after the 2021 season, but Tulo set the gold standard at short.

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