If the season ended today, the National League batting title would not belong to Trea Turner as it did last year or Luis Arraez as it did for the two years prior. Nope, it’s Ildemaro Vargas — yes, Ildemaro Vargas — who leads all of Major League Baseball in batting average. And it’s not particularly close. If you weren’t already, it’s time to pay attention to the Diamondbacks infielder, who entered this year worth 1.8 wins above replacement over his first nine big-league seasons with a career .646 OPS. This year, the 34-year-old is already worth 1.5 bWAR.Vargas leads MLB with a .382 batting average and the National League with a 1.063 OPS, a number that trails only Ben Rice and Yordan Alvarez for the best mark among all qualified MLB hitters. He also just completed a 27-game hitting streak that was the longest in MLB since Turner’s 27-gamer ended in April 2022. In a nod to Vargas’ extraordinary start, this week’s power rankings include one player from every team who deserves more attention. (Sorry for the Arizona spoiler.) The White Sox occupied the bottom spot in these rankings for a bit, so getting swept by them is a good way to swap positions. At least the Angels always have a chance when José Soriano is on the mound. He leads MLB with a 0.84 ERA through seven starts. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) Yes, Nolan McLean is the most valuable pitcher on the team. But veteran Clay Holmes leads the team in innings pitched and has the fourth-lowest ERA (1.69) among all qualified MLB pitchers. This is not the same version of Antonio Senzatela that you might remember. After posting a 6.65 ERA with an 11.8% strikeout rate as a starter last year, the Rockies have changed the veteran right-hander’s fastball usage (a lot more cutter and sinker, a lot less four-seamer) in a relief role and have now seen him post a 1.21 ERA while more than doubling his strikeout rate. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) A league-average batter last year, 27-year-old Casey Schmitt has been the best hitter on the Giants this year. That also says something about the rest of a San Francisco lineup that has scored the fewest runs in MLB. Not being able to score or hold leads is the kind of rough combination that can lead to a six-game skid. Among MLB hitters with at least 95 plate appearances this year, Austin Martin has by far the best on-base percentage as well as the third-highest walk rate behind only Mike Trout and Nick Kurtz. Photo by Michael…
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2026-05-04 21:22:37
