Baseball’s longest hitting streak in five years came to an end Saturday afternoon at Wrigley Field. Diamondbacks first baseman Ildemaro Vargas was held hitless for the first time this season and the first time since last Sept. 25 by the Cubs (CHC 2, ARI 0). The 27-game hitting streak was baseball’s longest since Trea Turner’s 27-gamer, which spanned the end of the 2021 season and start of 2022.
“I’m living a dream right now,” Vargas said after extending the streak to 27 games on Friday (via ESPN). “I’m taking advantage of my moment, and I’ve arrived at the right moment. But, honestly, what I really want is that the team continues to have success.”
Vargas went 0 for 4 on Saturday. He grounded out to third in the first inning, flew out to center in the fourth inning, grounded out to short in the seventh inning, then grounded out to short in the ninth inning. Vargas, a switch-hitter, faced lefty Shota Imanaga in his first three at-bats and righty Ben Brown in the fourth.
Although it came to an end Saturday, Vargas’ 27-game hitting streak did set a new MLB record for a Venezuelan-born player. Here are the longest hitting streaks by a player born in Venezuela:
- Ildemaro Vargas, D-backs: 27 games (Sept. 26, 2025 to May 1, 2026)
- Wilson Ramos, Mets: 26 games (Aug. 3 to Sept. 3, 2019)
- Victor Martinez, Red Sox: 25 games (Aug. 28 to Sept. 26, 2009)
- Chico Carrasquel, White Sox: 24 games (July 8 to Aug. 5, 1950)
- Melvin Mora, Orioles: 23 games (May 17 to June 12, 2003)
Vargas hit safely in all 24 of his games to begin this season. That’s the longest hitting streak to begin a season since Ron LeFlore hit safely in the first 30 games with the Tigers in 1970. Hall of Famer George Sisler owns the record with a 34-game hitting streak to begin the 1925 season. That was the longest hitting streak in baseball history until Joe DiMaggio’s 56-gamer in 1941.
The 34-year-old Vargas has been a revelation for Arizona this year, hitting .388/.412/.673 even after going hitless Saturday. He’s already tied his career high with six home runs. Some tweaks to his swing boosted his line drive rate significantly. Prior to 2026, Vargas had never hit safely in more than 10 consecutive games.
Vargas has played for seven teams in parts of 10 MLB seasons. This is his third stint with the D-backs.
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