This story was excerpted from Scott Merkin’s White Sox Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.
KANSAS CITY – I was wrong.
For those who have known me for many a decade, the response to this assertion would be, “What else is new?” or “Be more specific.”
Ok, I will in this instance. I was wrong about Miguel Vargas.
Let me preface this analysis by stating I certainly didn’t get to know Vargas during the 42 games he played in a franchise-wide miserable 2024 season after coming to the White Sox from the Dodgers as part of a three-team, eight-player deal at that Trade Deadline. So, this judgment was based totally on what I saw on the field.
Through that 2024 performance and even in the first month of 2025, I just didn’t see Vargas as an impact player. And again, I was wrong.
Like 2 + 2 = 5 sort of wrong. Some people would argue that assessing Vargas on 157 plate appearances, despite hitting a paltry .104, is patently unfair.
In reality, basing almost anything off that ’24 campaign in relation to the White Sox really shouldn’t be done. So, lesson learned.
Not only has Vargas become one of the best third basemen in the game and probably an American League Most Valuable Player candidate, but he’s an intense competitor, a clubhouse leader and a voice of levity amid a 162-game push to play even more important games. Vargas was lamenting the lack of success for his Fantasy Football team before talking to the media on Tuesday evening, as an example.
“That’s what I wanted to be when I got here,” Vargas said. “I want to prove that I deserve to put this jersey on every day and for me to be able to accomplish a lot of things for myself, it just means a lot for me. I don’t try to prove nobody wrong. I try to prove people right, I guess. For me being able to do what I’ve accomplished has been amazing for sure.”
“When you think about the good stuff that’s going on in this organization, with this club, he’s right in the middle of everything,” White Sox manager Will Venable said. “He’s just such a good guy, he works so hard, he’s a great teammate. He’s giving a lot of himself to other people and at the same time taking care of himself and performing at an elite level.”
Venable was part of the Texas organization during Vargas’ rough ’24 season. He knew him from afar, mainly during Spring Training games, but when Venable took over in ’25, he saw an offensive profile in terms of contact, swing decisions and damage Vargas could do that made his struggles interesting and even a little confounding from ’24.
Maybe it had something to do with his trade from one of the best teams in baseball to one of the all-time worst squads.
“My initial impression of him was just what an outstanding guy he was. He was so personable. And just a kind guy and then he plays really hard too,” Venable said. “If you say something is important for this group, he backs it up, backs you up and goes out there and does those things.
“It’s so nice to see him continue to work hard and get the results that he deserves because he’s such a talented guy and works so hard. His mind and intent are always in the right place. Very proud of Miguel Vargas. I do think he’s a great representative of the progress here and maybe the best one.”
Everyone has seen the screenshot of Vargas sitting at the end of the visitors’ dugout in Oakland, looking forlorn after the team’s 21st straight loss in ‘24. That image came from the nascent stages of Vargas’ White Sox career.
Entering Tuesday’s series opener against the Royals, Vargas was riding high as the AL Player of the Week and became the first player in franchise history to record at least 30 doubles, 30 home runs, 20 stolen bases and 100 runs scored in a single season. So which number impresses Vargas the most?
Be ready for a true Vargas-type response.
“Wins actually mean a lot for me,” Vargas said. “Sometimes I have a good game, and we don’t win and it doesn’t feel as special. When you have the whole package and we win, it makes a huge difference. You are helping the team to win. That’s what it’s all about.
“Everybody is tired, our body is not responding sometimes the way we want it to. I want to be mentally in the right spot to give myself the best opportunity every night.”
With every moment of triumph Vargas produces, my original take is proven more incorrect. It wasn’t the first time and won’t be the last for me, but the most important thing in this story centers upon Vargas finding a baseball home for a potentially playoff-bound team.
“Probably it has been the most fun I’ve had playing baseball, especially at this level,” Vargas said. “I enjoyed it a little bit more, especially after a couple of rough years for me and the team.”