He is also the MLB batting average leader and the architect of three historic hitting streaks.
Advertisement
Although the D-backs suffered a 13-1 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers on Thursday, suffering a sixth loss in their last nine games, the switch-hitting Vargas collected two more hits. He has had a hit in each of his 23 outings this season and is now tied for the second-longest hitting streak to start a season since 1940, according to MLB.com’s Sarah Langs.
He has equaled the mark that Édgar RenterÃa established in 2006 with the Atlanta Braves. Renteria ended up making his fifth and final All-Star team that season.
Vargas needs to hit safely in seven more games to tie Ron LeFlore for the longest such streak. LeFlore opened the 1976 campaign with a hit in the first 30 games he played for the Detroit Tigers that year, earning All-Star recognition for the first and only time in his career.Advertisement
As for Vargas’ second hitting streak, well, that one dates back to last season. Since 2025, he has had a hit in 26 consecutive appearances. That is the longest active streak in the Major Leagues, and is tied for the longest ever recorded by a Venezuelan player. Wilson Ramos, then a catcher for the New York Mets, accomplished that feat during the 2019 season.
Vargas’ third hitting streak has a place in D-backs history, as he has hit safely in 19 consecutive road outings, according to the Arizona Republic, which reported Thursday that by continuing that streak from last season, Vargas has surpassed Junior Spivey and Stephen Drew for the franchise’s road hitting streak record.
He’s doing all this while hitting an MLB-best .378, an average that increased after his two-hit performance against the Brewers on Thursday.
Advertisement
For reference, Vargas came into the day with a career .257 hitter. What’s more, he already has six home runs in 2026. He has tied a single-season career high in the long ball department. Vargas also threw six big fly balls in 2019, but played in 92 games that season.
His name is scattered across a handful of MLB offensive rating boards right now. In December, he returned to the organization on another minor league contract. He made the Opening Day roster and has enjoyed a flashy, hit-filled start to what is suddenly becoming an All-Star caliber year.