Rubber game in Denver. Hopefully, the D-backs offense can take advantage of opportunities better than they did yesterday, going 2-for-11 with runners in scoring position. Mind you, the Rockies were 4-for-13. Not often that teams combine for 24 at-bats with RISP, and the game still finishes only 4-2. Interesting too Ildemaro Vargas promoted to the top of the order today. That’s something we’ve seen four times previously this year, and the results were good: he’s 6-for-17 hitting leadoff, and five
of those hits were for extra bases. However, he is at the bottom for pitches seen in 2026: just 3.35 per PA, well below league average (3.87). You want more patience from a lead-off guy.
Indeed, of the 171 qualified hitters, Vargas currently ranks 168th for pitches per PA (former D-back Josh Naylor is two spots lower, at 3.28). That’s probably why Vargas’s walk-rate is 168th as well, with just five walks in 151 PA thus far. That 3.2% walk-rate is currently the lowest in franchise history by a qualified hitter, below the previous mark of 3.6%, set by Ketel Marte in the abbreviated 2020 season. The lowest over a full season is 4.0%, belonging to Shea Hillenbrand in 2004. Nobody else in the past decade has been below five percent; the closest is Lourdes Gurriel, who had a walk-rate of 5.2% in 2024.
Indeed, Gurriel has consistently been a “WW” to quote Bob Brenly. He had walk-rates of 5.2%, 5.6% and 5.7% since joining Arizona. That is at least one area where he has improved this year. Small sample size to date, but Lourdes has eight walks over 79 PA, a 10.1% rate which far and away would beat the previous highest of his career – only 6.3%. If only a few more hits were falling, and his power hadn’t almost entirely evaporated. Going back to last year, Gurriel has now gone 26 games and 94 at-bats since his last home-run, tied for his longest as a Diamondback. Today would be a nice one to end that streak.
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