Diamondbacks' 34-year-old journeyman with .388 average has been biggest surprise in MLB

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Diamondbacks' 34-year-old journeyman with .388 average has been biggest surprise in MLB originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The Arizona Diamondbacks are 16-16 on the season, and it's thanks in large part to their poor pitching staff so far in 2026. The offense has been fine, with Corbin Carroll leading the way.

But, there's a different player who's been performing at elite levels for the D-Backs this season: 34-year-old journeyman infielder Ildemaro Vargas.

USA Today's Bob Nightengale called Vargas the biggest surprise in baseball, as the veteran D-Backs infielder leads all of the Major Leagues with a .388 batting average this season for one of the more stunning starts to a year in baseball.

MLB's biggest surprise has been Ildemaro Vargas​

"Biggest surprise, Ildermaro Vargas, Arizona Diamondbacks," Nightengale writes. "He has had three different stints with the Diamondbacks, playing parts of 10 different seasons with six different teams, and signing a minor league contract this winter when no one else would give him a big-league deal."

After being a bottom-of-the-roster option at-best this offseason, Vargas has become someone the Diamondbacks couldn't afford to go without this season.

He had a 27-game hitting streak to begin the season, and did so on just a $1.25 million salary. Vargas isn't making much, but he's been one of the best players in the sport.

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His .388 batting average has been the best in Major League Baseball, and it's not just that he's making contact for singles and cheap hits; he's actually posting a .673 slugging percentage, the best in the NL.

He has six doubles, two triples, and six homers on the year so far. The 34-year-old, who's never once been a top-tier player in the sport, has been playing like an elite hitter this year.

Vargas has been the biggest surprise in Major League Baseball this season, as his 196 OPS+ is more than double his 85 OPS+ from a year ago. All of a sudden, Vargas is the best hitter in the NL.

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