This story was excerpted from Thomas Harding’s Rockies Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.
MIAMI -- The Rockies are opening against the Marlins in a place that shortstop Ezequiel Tovar calls his U.S. offseason home -- and a city that took him into its heart during the World Baseball Classic.
Venezuela played all of its games in Miami -- in front of massive crowds of fans with allegiance to the country -- and eventually won the title game by beating Team USA in front of those crowds. When Tovar arrived Thursday at loanDepot park, he skillfully handled a dugout press conference that one would associate with a player becoming more comfortable with his stardom.
Tovar, 24, already is popular in Denver. And, heading into the third year of a seven-year, $63.5 million contract extension, he is making sure that his Denver home benefits beyond being entertained by his play.
On Thursday morning, Tovar announced the launch of the “Double Impact” initiative through his Bases Loaded Foundation. Each double Tovar hits during the 2026 season will trigger a $1,000 donation -- matched by the Colorado Rockies Baseball Club Foundation -- that will support pediatric healthcare programs at Children’s Hospital Colorado and Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Denver.
Tovar’s Bases Loaded Foundation, announced in 2024, is already funding pediatric healthcare clinics, STEM programming, food initiatives and facility renovations at Hospital Venezuela Maracay, where he was born.
In his time with the Rockies, Tovar has quietly supported children of all communities in Denver. Tovar and the club announced the new program through a press release Thursday morning in Tovar’s style -- little fanfare, all substance.
“I’ve always believed that what we do on the field should create opportunities off the field,” he said in the release. “Through Bases Loaded, I want every moment of the season to have a real impact on kids and communities that need it most.”
Rockies manager Warren Schaeffer has said that he was heartened by the higher level of expressiveness Tovar showed during the Classic, but he also loves how understated his shortstop is normally. At his heart, Tovar prefers to make impact quietly.
“It’s never been Tovie’s way to broadcast things,” Schaeffer said. “He’s behind closed doors. We all love that about Tovie. At his heart, people really matter to him. He’s a great family man. He’s a great guy in the community. He’s just a great guy overall in how he treats people.”
Children stand to benefit greatly. In 2023, his first full season, Tovar cranked out 37 doubles. In ‘24, he led the National League with 45. Last year, he dealt with hip and oblique injuries and was limited to 18 doubles in his 95 games.