Ildemaro Vargas Is Hitting in 24 Straight Games and His Batting Average Just Crossed .400

The Diamondbacks' infielder extended his historic streak in Chicago on Wednesday, singling to center field off Colin Rea in the first inning at Wrigley Field. Vargas didn't stop there either, picking up three more hits and a walk to finish with a Majors-leading .404 batting average in Arizona's 6-5 loss to the Cubs.

What makes this run even more special? Vargas has now hit in 24 straight games to open the season, and 27 dating back to last year. That 27-game streak is the longest active hitting streak in all of baseball right now. He just became the Venezuelan-born player with the longest hitting streak ever, breaking Wilson Ramos' previous record of 26 set back in 2019 with the Mets.

This Isn't Just a Hot Week. This Is Different.

The 24-game streak to open the season is the second-longest since 1940, trailing only Ron LeFlore's 30-game run to start the 1976 season with the Tigers. Vargas is doing something we haven't seen in a long time. He's seeing the ball at a level most hitters never reach, and it's translating into consistent, quality at-bats every single night.

On Wednesday alone, Vargas went 4-for-5 with a walk. The RBI single in the third, followed by singles in the fifth and sixth, showed he's not just making contact. He's doing damage. This was the fourth time in his career he's posted four hits in a game, and his third time reaching base five times. His career high is five hits in a game, set way back on May 24, 2019.

A Guy Who Paid His Dues Finally Getting His Moment

What makes this story hit different is Vargas' path to this point. He's on his third stint with Arizona after playing parts of 10 seasons in the majors, but he's never experienced success like this. His teammates got it. During an MLB Network appearance before the game, the entire clubhouse stopped what they were doing to watch him get interviewed.

Manager Torey Lovullo saw it all unfold. "He deserves that attention," Lovullo said. "And all those things don't happen by accident or because he's lucky. He's paid his dues, and he's worked his butt off, and he's learned how to play the game at a very high level. It's all paying off for him."

Even Colin Rea, the guy throwing to him, had to give credit. "He's just kind of in a zone right now where he's seeing the ball well," Rea said. "You've just got to keep attacking him and trying to find weaknesses. It's hard to find weaknesses when the guy's hot like that."

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.