Wilfredo Tovar

Wilfredo Jose Tovar

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 5' 7", Weight 180 lb.

• Debut September 22, 2013
• Final Game May 29, 2021
• Born August 11, 1991 in Santa Teresa, Miranda Venezuela

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Biographical Information

Wilfredo Tovar came to the major leagues in 2013.

Tovar was signed by New York Mets scout Ismael Cruz and Roberto Alfonzo in October 2007. He hit only .203/.269/.301 in his pro debut with the 2008 VSL Mets, being used as a backup middle infielder. He split 2009 between the VSL Mets (.289/.364/.421 in 12 G) and the GCL Mets (.243/.294/.318 in 38 G, 16 SB, 21 R). He tied Eury Pérez and Raymond van Gurp for third in the Gulf Coast League in swipes. In 2010, he played for the Brooklyn Cyclones (.265/.311/.324 in 18 G), Savannah Sand Gnats (.281/.327/.344 in 44 G) and the St. Lucie Mets (.246/.276/.305 in 30 G). With Savannah in 2011, he produced at a .251/.318/.318 clip with 70 runs and 15 steals in 24 tries. He was 5th in the Mets farm chain in runs (between Juan Lagares and Jordany Valdespin) and tied Stefan Welch for third with 7 sacrifice flies.

Wilfredo began 2012 with St. Lucie and did well enough (.284/.377/.385, 17 K in 218 AB) to move up to the Binghamton Mets (.254/.308/.332 in 57 G). He made his Venezuelan Winter League debut for the Navegantes del Magallanes, going 1 for 6 with a walk. He spent most of 2013 with Binghamton, fielding .981 at short while hitting .263/.323/.340 and scoring 70 runs.

A September call-up, he made his debut in the majors hitting 8th and playing short. He grounded out against Cliff Lee his first trip up, then grounded into a double play the next. In the 7th, though, he came up with a 2-1 deficit against Lee, one out and two on. He singled to score Lagares with the tying run and an error on the play by Domonic Brown let Anthony Recker score the go-ahead run; New York would go on to win, 4-3. In his last at-bat, Tovar singled off Jonathan Papelbon and later stole second but was stranded.

He did not play in the majors from 2015 to 2018, returning to that level with the Los Angeles Angels in 2019 for the first time since 2014. In the interim, he played at Triple A in the Mets, Minnesota Twins and St. Louis Cardinals systems, and in the Venezuelan Winter League. He returned to the Mets in 2021.

Related Sites

• Wilfredo Tovar at mlb.com