As sad as it was to see him go, most Los Angeles Dodgers fans knew that a change of scenary was going to be better for infielder Miguel Vargas in the long run.
Vargas was once the No. 3 prospect in the Dodgers organization and theNo. 37 prospect in all of baseball. He was a player that Dodgers fans really rallied around, but he never put it together enough to earn reuglar at-bats.
Last summer, the Dodgers traded Vargas to the Chicago White Sox in a three-team trade that brought Michael Kopech and Tommy Edman to L.A. Both Kopech and Edman played key roles in the Dodgers winning the 2024 World Series, while Vargas was getting regular at-bats on the South Side of Chicago.
At first, it looked like Vargas would never reach his potential. He had a batting average of .104 with the White Sox in 2024 and had an OPS of .387 after being traded. Those woes carried over to the start of the 2025 season, but after making a swing change in the middle of April, Vargas is finally blossoming in his new home.
Vargas is shining with White Sox
Since April 23, Vargas has played 36 games and taken 135 at-bats with an OPS of .927. He has eight (8) home runs and a .304 batting average during that stretch, as well.
Vargas is turning out to be a really good Major League player. He’s now considered part of the “core” for the current White Sox rebuild. Dodgers fans always knew he had it in him, and it’s good to see him reaching his potential.
MLB.com described Vargas in 2023 as “an extremely advanced hitter with elite bat-to-ball skills and a good understanding of his right-handed swing and what he’s trying to do at the plate.” Evaluators said that he “controls the strike zone, uses the entire field, and handles fastballs and breaking balls with ease.”
There’s a reason Dodgers fans (and the organization) were so high on him for so long. When he’s on, he’s a really fun hitter to watch. That being said, the Dodgers wouldn’t go back and reverse the trade. Banners fly forever, and being 2024 World Series Champions is more valuable than anything Vargas could have brought to the team’s future.
It’s good to know that Vargas is doing okay and is going to end up having a succesful Major League career.