BREAKING: White Sox Player’s Hot Start Fuels Hopes For Big Year

White Sox Player's Hot Start Fuels Hopes For Big Year

In the midst of one of the worst seasons in Major League Baseball history last year, the White Sox made a huge three team trade. This trade saw the White Sox send Erick Fedde and Tommy Pham to the St. Louis Cardinals, while Michael Kopech was sent to the Dodgers. In return, the White Sox received three players, Jeral Perez, Alexander Albertus, and the player most are familiar with, Miguel Vargas.

While Albertus did not play a game for the White Sox due to a season ending injury, Jeral Perez had a solid finish to the season in the White Sox minor league system. Vargas on the other hand had a forgettable start to his White Sox career.

In 42 games for the White Sox, Vargas hit .104 with a .217 OBP. He added two homeruns, seven RBIs, and two stolen bases. This was not exactly what Sox fans wanted to see from the player they traded three solid major leaguers for.

However, this season looks to be different for Vargas, as he has made some offseason adjustments, ones that the White Sox noticed last year, but waited until the offseason to make the changes.

These adjustments are clearly working, as Vargas is on fire this spring. In 25 at-bats, Vargas is hitting .400 with one homer and four RBIs. While it is only Spring Training, this is the exact kind of performance you want to see out of Vargas, as it gives you hope for what he can do during the regular season.

Vargas is only 25 and has just 500 at-bats under his belt, so there is plenty of room for development. With new hitting coordinator Ryan Fuller in the fold, he could unlock what made Vargas a consensus top-40 prospect in baseball in the Dodgers organization.

FanGraphs believes that there will be improvement this year, as they project a .227/.325/.382 slash line with 12 homeruns, 44 RBIs and nine stolen bases. While that would be a significant improvement from his numbers last season, that would still be slightly disappointing to see from Vargas, especially considering his Spring Training numbers.

If Vargas can hit around .250 with a .350+ OBP, adding 15-20 homeruns, that would be a huge stepping stone in his development, potentially etching him into the lineup when the White Sox are good again.

Vargas has been working at both third and first base this spring, giving the team plenty of flexibility to keep him in the lineup. If Andrew Vaughn is traded during the year, that would allow Vargas to slide to first while Bryan Ramos could man third base.

It is still just Spring Training, but Vargas is giving fans a glimpse of hope that he can be a solid contributor for them. He struggled the most with velocity last year, so when you start seeing him hit pitches thrown at 95 MPH or more, watch out.

Related Posts

BREAKING!! Should the Twins Cash In on Their Pitching Pipeline Now?

The Minnesota Twins have seven major-league-ready starters and another two or three who are very close. Meanwhile, multiple teams around the league are dealing with injuries to…

REPORT!! Minnesota Twins Sale Has Officially Hit a Snag…

Arguably the best news from the Minnesota Twins organization this offseason? The franchise finally went up for sale. It has been clear to most fans for some…

BREAKING: Will Venable is still not willing to name Davis Martin the Chicago White Sox Opening Day starter

CBS Sports mentioned last week that Davis Martin would be named the Sox Opening Day starter. However, manager Will Venable has said no decision has been made.

How Max Kepler is fitting in during Phillies’ spring training

So far, so good for the Phillies’ new outfielder.

‘Keep teaching’: Hitting coach Marcus Thames preaches patience with Chicago White Sox as he evaluates offense

From Luis Robert Jr. to prospects Colson Montgomery and Kyle Teel, Chicago White Sox hitting coach Marcus Thames breaks down the progress of the offense.

Phіllіeѕ to іnduct Jіmmy Rollіnѕ, Ed Wаde іnto Wаll of Fаme іn Auguѕt

Jimmy Rollins and Ed Ware will be inducted into the 2025 Toyota Phillies Wall of Fame during the team’s alumni weekend.