Surprise D-backs Star Earns NL Player of the Week Honor

The success of one of the Arizona Diamondbacks' most unlikely — and heartwarming — player storylines continues.

Veteran utilityman Ildemaro Vargas, whose red-hot bat shows no signs of cooling anytime soon, was awarded the National League Player of the Week award by MLB for his exceptional stretch at the plate. This marks his first such honor in his lengthy career.

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Diamondbacks' Ildemaro Vargas wins National League Player of the Week

Vargas' efforts have not been cheap. Over the past week, he hit to a .364 average, homered four times and brought in 12 RBI. That culminated with a 3-for-5 game in the D-backs' thrilling comeback win over the San Diego Padres in Mexico City on Sunday, when Vargas fell just a single shy of the cycle.

It hasn't just been a hot week for Vargas, however. The 34-year-old utilityman has hit safely in every game he's played this season (20), which is a franchise record to open the year. The streak is 23 games, dating back to 2025, which is the longest active streak in MLB.

He's also matched his previous season-high home run total (6) in just 20 games.

Though falling ever-so-slightly shy of being an official qualified batter, Vargas' 1.105 season OPS (over 82 plate appearances) leads all D-backs hitters — qualified or unqualified.

Apr 14, 2026; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks second baseman Ildemaro Vargas (6) celebrates with teammates after hitting a three-run home run during the fifth inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Mitch Stringer-Imagn Images | Mitch Stringer-Imagn Images

Though originally a minor league re-signing this offseason, Vargas forced his way into the regular lineup. And he's not just a hot bat. The 34-year-old brings a genuine, positive energy that seems to have taken the D-backs' clubhouse by storm.

"It's so much fun to watch," said teammate Tim Tawa to D-backs.TV's Todd Walsh. "I mean he brings the best positive energy I've ever seen as a teammate. It's infectious, and we feed off that just seeing him play with so much joy, it's inspiring to me.

"I want to play like that and just see how he does this thing. ... it's not surprising. It's well-deserved."

Though Vargas' numbers may not look sustainable — and, certainly, an OPS above 1.000 would suggest regression is inevitable for the vast majority of MLB hitters — Vargas' underlying metrics have shown that he's not just swinging a lucky bat.

Vargas' .351 expected batting average is less than 30 points lower than his actual average. It also ranks in the 99th percentile of baseball. His expected slugging percentage (.539), ranks in the 89th percentile.

He's not whiffing nor striking out, and is playing solid, above-average defense at a variety of positions. Though the astounding success may not be full-season feasible, there's nothing fake about what Vargas has done — and he's being recognized for it.

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