Today’s Lineups
Rubber sport in Denver. Hopefully, the D-backs offense can benefit from alternatives higher than they did yesterday, going 2-for-11 with runners in scoring place. Mind you, the Rockies have been 4-for-13. Not usually that groups mix for 24 at-bats with RISP, and the sport nonetheless finishes solely 4-2. Interesting too Ildemaro Vargas promoted to the highest of the order at the moment. That’s one thing we’ve seen 4 instances beforehand this 12 months, and the outcomes have been good: he’s 6-for-17 hitting leadoff, and 5 of these hits have been for additional bases. However, he’s on the backside for pitches seen in 2026: simply 3.35 per PA, nicely beneath league common (3.87). You need extra endurance from a lead-off man.
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Indeed, of the 171 certified hitters, Vargas at the moment ranks 168th for pitches per PA (former D-back Josh Naylor is 2 spots decrease, at 3.28). That’s most likely why Vargas’s walk-rate is 168th as nicely, with simply 5 walks in 151 PA to date. That 3.2% walk-rate is at the moment the bottom in franchise historical past by a certified hitter, beneath the earlier mark of three.6%, set by Ketel Marte within the abbreviated 2020 season. The lowest over a full season is 4.0%, belonging to Shea Hillenbrand in 2004. Nobody else prior to now decade has been beneath 5 p.c; the closest is Lourdes Gurriel, who had a walk-rate of 5.2% in 2024.
Indeed, Gurriel has persistently been a “WW” to cite Bob Brenly. He had walk-rates of 5.2%, 5.6% and 5.7% since becoming a member of Arizona. That is at the very least one space the place he has improved this 12 months. Small pattern measurement so far, however Lourdes has eight walks over 79 PA, a ten.1% fee which far and away would beat the earlier highest of his profession – solely 6.3%. If only some extra hits have been falling, and his energy hadn’t nearly solely evaporated. Going again to final 12 months, Gurriel has now gone 26 video games and 94 at-bats since his final home-run, tied for his longest as a Diamondback. Today can be a pleasant one to finish that streak.
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