There's No 'F' in Utility

 

2026 has already been a great year for lifetime utility guys making a name for themselves when thrust into a starting role. From the jump, Mauricio Dubon's been excellent at shortstop, to the point where Ha-Seong Kim is practically a backup right now. Ezequiel Duran's been wonderful filling in for Corey Seager, and his clutch and contact abilities are helping out the Rangers quite a bit. Oswald Peraza and Jorbit Vivas essentially have starting jobs right now, Jose Caballero made quite the impact covering for Anthony Volpe, Tristans Peters and Gray are finding everyday jobs, the list goes on. But right at the top of that list is Ildemaro Vargas, because it's simultaneously true that nobody could have seen his rise coming...and yet his rise was honestly bound to happen.

Since 2017, Ildemaro Vargas has bounced around as one of those likable infield role-player guys who's never a star but always does what he's supposed to. He was with the Diamondbacks for years, played for a bunch of midwest teams in the early 2020s, found a niche as a utility guy with the Nats then returned to Arizona. Last year he was really impressive in a swing role, hitting .270 in 38 games, while continuing to be an above-average upgrade in the infield. Heading into the 2026 season, the D-Backs found themselves without their Opening Day 1B options [Pavin Smith and Carlos Santana both got hurt], so the majority of the reps there went to Vargas. 

So far, Vargas has become an everyday, reliable guy for this D-Backs team this year. He's hitting .291 with 7 homers, 37 RBIs, 59 hits [tied for most on the team with Marte and Carroll, whoever they are] and a 1.5 WAR. His 7 homers are already more than he's ever hit in a season. This is probably not a long term answer, as they kind of want Jose Fernandez to be that, but it's working right now. It's also just a nice perk that Vargas as working in an area that wasn't expected to be a big source of consistent production from this team. Like they banked on Corbin Carroll having a great year, Ketel Marte having a great year, Perdomo and Moreno to do their thing. I don't know if they banked on a bounce-back from Nolan Arenado either, but there he goes, hitting .270 with 8 homers and 28 RBIs [one more homer than Carroll]. 

I think if Gallen and Kelly weren't having buffer years, they'd have a chance to take out San Diego for 2nd. Zac Gallen has a 5.16 ERA, and is once again looking worn down. Same with Kelly, who's got a 5.08 ERA after missing a few weeks. It's a good thing that Eduardo Rodriguez and Mike Soroka are having excellent years, but, again, it falls into the issue with pitching right now where everyone throws so hard that nobody's good every year anymore. The D-Backs are balancing Rodriguez and Soroka's on years with Gallen and Kelly's off-years, plus a rehab year from Corbin Burnes. Forty years ago you just kept going ahead without having to plan for this kind of stuff. 

I still think the D-Backs are a nice under the radar threat in the NL this year. I don't know if they're a playoff team yet, cause the last few D-Backs teams have arguably been playoff caliber but just haven't made it. But they have a lot right now that's getting me excited, and the random resurgence of Ildemaro Vargas is honestly one of them.

Coming Tonight: He got hurt. Missed a season. Came back last spring training, got hurt, missed another season. And now he's back and pitching beautifully. 

Uncustomed Heroes of 2019: Diamondbacks

Interesting year for the Diamondbacks.

They didn't come especially close to playoff contention. They had a few setbacks that shedded them of some of the people that made their 2018 season an exciting one. But...this was still a pretty entertaining team. The new core of Eduardo Escobar and Ketel Marte is pretty awesome, and Robbie Ray is still a tight strikeout artist.

Jarrod Dyson was also pretty sharp this year, with 92 hits in 130 games, and a team-high 30 stolen bases. He was a little weaker than he's been in years past, and his numbers are very much like his backup numbers from the Royals teams, but he's still a solid asset.
Why Him in 2019?: Led the team in stolen bases while everyone else was busy hitting .240
2020 Prediction: Someone will sign him...but not likely as a starter.

 Jake Lamb made his comeback due to injury this year, but...oh man, he's not the same. He hit .193 this year in 78 games, with only 30 RBIs. Not sure what else the team can do with him.
Why Him in 2019?: Made the D-Backs realize how crucial Eduardo Escobar was to the team.
2020 Prediction: Will be released midway through the year.

 A slightly happier story was that of Wilmer Flores, former Mets infielder who fought valiantly for a starting spot in Arizona, eventually splitting 2nd base with Ketel Marte. Flores did pretty well this year, with 84 hits in 89 games, and a .317 average.
Why Him in 2019?: Proved his worth as a utility man in the wake of Marte's rise.
2020 Prediction: More utility work, but on another club. Hell, maybe the Mets re-sign him.

 Probably one of the more impressive non-Greinke feats of the first half was the rise of Luke Weaver, who was coming off a muddied 2018. Weaver only pitched 12 games due to injury, but had a 2.94 ERA with 69 strikeouts, so his stuff is still sharp outside of St. Louis
Why Him in 2019?: His ability gave the team hope, but his injury, and Greinke's departure, doomed them.
2020 Prediction: A more consistent, healthy year, and some numbers that may goad the team into trading Robbie Ray

 Merrill Kelly's season was, in my opinion, a disappointment. After seeing Eric Thames and Miles Mikolas flourish after seasons abroad, I'd hoped that Merrill Kelly would follow suit, and to see him only post okay numbers, like a 4.42 ERA and a 13-14 ratio, was a little disheartening. His 158 strikeouts wasn't bad, though.
Why Him in 2019?: Started the most games for the team.
2020 Prediction: Either his ERA falls and he gets his stuff together, or it rises and the team gives up on him.

 Alex Young's call-up was an impressive way of coping with Greinke's loss, as Young went 7-5 in 17 games, and had a 3.56 ERA. He's a pretty durable middle-of-the-rotation guy, but once Leake and Gallen came in, there wasn't much room left for him.
Why Him in 2019?: Bridged the team between two polar-opposite climates for the rotation.
2020 Prediction: Not an initial member of the rotation, but will make some crucial starts down the stretch, or potentially be included in a trade deal.

 As far as bench players go, Ildemaro Vargas was an amusing one, taking some time in the infield and hitting .269, including some clutch moments.
Why Him in 2019?: Middle infield stability for a team losing its once-famous youth infield core.
2020 Prediction: Will back up Marte, and have some strong moments off the bench before a trade makes him a starter somewhere else.

 Alex Avila was supposed to be the starting catcher in AZ this year, and his early April numbers, with a .333 average and 5 RBIs, seemed to foreshadow a great season. Injuries limited his playing time, and some paltry months at the plate depleted his average.
Why Him in 2019?: Without his injury, Carson Kelly never becomes a trusted starter.
2020 Prediction: Will have some ample playing time in Minneapolis, but will slowly lose some to La Tortuga.

 Jon Duplantier was one of Topps' favorite rookie subjects of 2019, solely because he came up in April and had one or two amusing moments then. After April, though, he's not really a factor in this season. Eventually a move to the bullpen makes him a bit more useful, but overall he's mostly a footnote in this season.
Why Him in 2019?: His April appearances were unhittable. Then May started.
2020 Prediction: Teams up with Yoan Lopez and Junior Guerra to form an impressive bullpen platoon.

 Archie Bradley's years have formed an arc- at the start of every year, the organization swears they won't use him as a closer, sign a free agent, and use Bradley in middle relief where he excels. Then the free agent fails miserably, is released, and Bradley ends the year as closer. It happens every year, and this year was no exception, taking over for Greg Holland and getting 18 saves out of it.
Why Him in 2019?: Better or worse, he's still the D-Backs closer, and he still gets the job done.
2020 Prediction: A complete year at closer, and 30 saves come with it.

After the Greinke deal happened, the D-Backs made two more pitching moves, and got Mike Leake and Zac Gallen. Everyone thought Leake would go right into ace form, and it ended up being Gallen that excelled for them. Leake was a bit more disappointing, posting a 4.35 ERA in 10 games, with only 27 strikeouts.
Why Him in 2019?: He was a high-profile trade that did his best amidst the circumstances.
2020 Prediction: Back to his consistency, and more dominance. He'll probably take the lead once Ray gets traded.

Coming Tomorrow- There's gonna be a lot of customs, so I may split the post, but...the Dodgers team that should have won a World Series...and was stopped by a team that did.