Former Pirates castoff pulls off impossible feat with Diamondbacks

The Pittsburgh Pirates gave Ildemaro Vargas 13 plate appearances. That was it.

A brief cameo in 2021 after claiming him off waivers from the Chicago Cubs. A .100 batting average. Then a quiet trade to the Arizona Diamondbacks for cash considerations — the kind of transaction that barely registers even to the most diehard fans.

Now, nearly five years later, Vargas is doing something almost nobody in modern baseball has done. The 34-year-old utility man was named National League Player of the Month for March and April after opening the season with a stunning 24-game hitting streak, the longest to begin a year since Ron LeFlore started the 1976 season with hits in 30 straight games for the Detroit Tigers.

Among National League hitters with at least 50 plate appearances entering May, Vargas ranked second in batting average (.378), fourth in slugging percentage (.689) and fifth in OPS (1.087). Through 107 at-bats, he’s slashing .374/.423/.617 with a 1.041 OPS — numbers that look more like prime MVP-caliber production than a veteran journeyman bouncing between organizations.

His streak finally ended Saturday, but not before he carved his name into baseball history and reminded everyone how unpredictable this sport can be.

Pittsburgh fans may forget that MLB batting average leader Ildemaro Vargas was once a Pirate

Pirates fans got another reminder Tuesday when Vargas ripped an RBI double that dropped in between Oneil Cruz and Bryan Reynolds during the Diamondbacks' 9-0 rout of the Pirates.

There’s always a strange feeling when a former player thrives elsewhere, especially one who barely got an opportunity in Pittsburgh. But Pirates fans can at least take solace in knowing that this isn’t a case where their team gave away a future superstar in his 20s.

Vargas was already nearly 30 years old when Pittsburgh acquired him. He had spent years profiling as exactly what he still technically is — a versatile utility player capable of filling holes around the diamond. Absolutely no one could have seen this dominant stretch coming.

A 24-game hitting streak to open a season is the kind of accomplishment tied to legends, batting-title winners and Hall of Fame-caliber hitters. Vargas had never even been an everyday regular for most of his career. That’s what makes this story so compelling.

Baseball has always had room for late bloomers, but almost none bloom this late or this dramatically. Vargas went from waiver claim, to afterthought, to cash-trade footnote. Now he’s one of the biggest stories in baseball, and good for him — though Pirates fans wouldn't mind if his bat stayed quiet for the remainder of this series.

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