Ildemaro Vargas

Ildemaro Vargas

33-Year-Old Third Baseman3B
Arizona Diamondbacks AAA
2025 Fantasy Outlook
Vargas signed a minor-league contract with the Diamondbacks, the utility infielder's third stint in the desert. Other than his position versatility - Vargas played at least 50 innings at third base, shortstop, second base and left field in 2024 - there's not much to spark interest. He makes contact but there's little impact; Vargas has a .643 OPS with 17 home runs over 420 MLB games. The Diamondbacks have a need for a utility player after Kevin Newman bolted for the Angels, and Vargas will be a candidate along with Blaze Alexander and possibly Tim Tawa. Read Past Outlooks
$Signed a one-year, minor-league contract with the Diamondbacks in December of 2024.
Assigned to minor-league camp
3BArizona Diamondbacks  AAA
March 24, 2025
The Diamondbacks reassigned Vargas to minor-league camp on Sunday, Steve Gilbert of MLB.com reports.
ANALYSIS
Vargas competed for the final bench spot on the roster but lost out to Garrett Hampson due to the latter's positional versatility. Hampson's ability to play three infield positions, all three outfield spots and his speed/baserunning advantage won out.
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Batting Stats
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2024
2023
2022
2021
2020
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2018
2017
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2023 MLB Game Log
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2021 MLB Game Log
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2020 MLB Game Log
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2018 MLB Game Log
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Left/Right Batting Splits
Since 2023
 
 
+23%
OPS vs LHP
2025
No Stats
2024
 
 
+10%
OPS vs LHP
2023
 
 
+38%
OPS vs LHP
OPS PA R HR RBI SB AVG OBP SLG
Since 2023vs Left .716 236 19 3 28 3 .275 .311 .405
Since 2023vs Right .584 353 34 2 33 7 .231 .292 .292
2025vs Left 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
2025vs Right 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
2024vs Left .644 128 9 0 9 3 .261 .299 .345
2024vs Right .587 175 12 1 21 6 .235 .292 .294
2023vs Left .800 108 10 3 19 0 .291 .324 .476
2023vs Right .581 178 22 1 12 1 .226 .291 .289
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Home/Away Batting Splits
Since 2023
 
 
+1%
OPS on Road
2025
No Stats
2024
 
 
+2%
OPS at Home
2023
 
 
+2%
OPS on Road
OPS PA R HR RBI SB AVG OBP SLG
Since 2023Home .635 268 27 3 27 4 .246 .299 .336
Since 2023Away .641 321 26 2 34 6 .252 .300 .341
2025Home 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
2025Away 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
2024Home .617 153 11 0 13 3 .245 .300 .317
2024Away .606 150 10 1 17 6 .248 .291 .316
2023Home .660 115 16 3 14 1 .248 .298 .362
2023Away .671 171 16 1 17 0 .255 .308 .363
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Advanced Batting Stats
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Additional Stats
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Defensive Stats
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Batted Ball Stats
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Recent RotoWire Articles Featuring Ildemaro Vargas See More
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210 days ago
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Past Fantasy Outlooks
2024
2023
2021
2020
2019
The 286 plate appearances Vargas accrued in 2023 were a career high, as the utility player saw action at five different positions for the Nationals. The 32-year-old's seven percent strikeout rate was the second-lowest in baseball among players with at least 250 plate appearances, ranking behind only batting champ Luis Arraez. Unfortunately, that's about the only interesting thing in Vargas' offensive profile, as he offers next to nothing in terms of power or speed. Vargas is a capable, versatile defender and a switch-hitter, which endears him to managers like Dave Martinez. His only real relevance in fantasy, however, is how much playing time he might take away from other, more interesting guys like Luis Garcia and Nick Senzel.
Vargas is a journeyman infielder, one who has bounced around between five organizations within the past three seasons. He can play all around the infield and is not a total zero with the bat like a lot of utility infielders. Thanks in part to a vastly improved strikeout rate, Vargas was able to carve out his most playing time ever. It's not crazy to think he could surpass the 222 plate appearances he logged in 2022 this upcoming season, with the stripped-down Nationals lacking established MLB talent. While he's not exciting, Vargas can be useful for stretches in deep leagues when he's getting regular run.
Vargas looked likely to make the Diamondbacks' Opening Day roster and indeed he did, but a 3-for-20 start got him designated for assignment Aug. 6. Minnesota brought Vargas in and played him for a bit while Luis Arraez was injured, but the Twins eventually followed suit and DFA'd Vargas on Sept. 2. Claimed by the Cubs, Vargas only logged nine PA for Chicago down the stretch around a stint on the IL with a right hamstring strain. It's nice that Vargas can move around the infield, but he has not actually graded out all that well defensively and he's shown little offensively. At press time, Vargas remains on the Cubs' 40-man roster, but it would not be a surprise if he ended up bouncing around the league again in 2021.
Vargas began in the Cardinals organization before being sent to the Atlantic League, where Arizona found him a few years back. The switch hitter has been a premier contact hitter in the minors the past few years with an incredibly low strikeout rate, but he also shows little power so pitchers are often filling the zone against him. He has the skills to play multiple spots in the infield but is best suited to play second base. The bat-to-ball skills and the defensive chops should all but guarantee him a spot on the major-league roster in 2020, but there is little reason to think there is any upside here. What upside there may be would come from batted-ball fortunes from the BABIP gods. Arizona has been particularly prudent about when it chooses to steal bases and allowed Vargas just one successful attempt last year.
Vargas spent close to a decade in the minor leagues before making his debut for the Diamondbacks in 2017. Now 27, Vargas is getting a look in a utility role with Arizona. He's mostly served off the bench, starting just two of the Diamondbacks' first 16 games of 2019, but he's done reasonably well in his limited opportunities so far. Vargas has always been a slap-hitting infielder with middling power, failing to exceed even 10 homers during his time on the farm. He did once steal 21 bases in 22 attempts during a season (2016), but Vargas was just 10-for-14 on the basepaths at Triple-A Reno last year. This is a player who would project for maybe 10 homers and 10 steals if he were given a full season's worth of at-bats at the major-league level. It's not the kind of skill set worth speculating on in mixed leagues, as the upside is limited even if playing time were to open up.
More Fantasy News
Pushes for roster spot
3BArizona Diamondbacks  AAA
March 23, 2025
Vargas started at shortstop and went 3-for-4 with two doubles, one RBI and two runs scored in Saturday's spring game against San Francisco.
ANALYSIS
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NRI deal with Arizona
3BArizona Diamondbacks  AAA
December 17, 2024
The Diamondbacks signed Vargas to a minor-league contract Tuesday that includes an invitation to spring training, Aram Leighton of Just Baseball reports.
ANALYSIS
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Becomes free agent
3BFree Agent  AAA
November 4, 2024
Vargas elected free agency Monday, Bobby Blanco of MASNSports.com reports.
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Filling in for resting Garcia
3BWashington Nationals  AAA
September 11, 2024
Vargas will start at third base and bat eighth in Wednesday's game against Atlanta.
ANALYSIS
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Sitting in second straight
3BWashington Nationals  AAA
August 11, 2024
Vargas is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Angels.
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Latest Fantasy Rumors
Value as trade piece
3BWashington Nationals  AAA
June 16, 2023
Jon Morosi of MLB Network said Friday he believes Vargas will "have a lot of value" ahead of the August 1 trade deadline.
ANALYSIS
The utility man went down early in the season with a shoulder injury and has played just 16 games since he returned from the IL on May 3, but he's hit well during that stretch with an .896 OPS and 10 RBI. Vargas isn't likely to be a lineup regular in 2023, but his versatility could provide some solid value for contending teams.
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