KANSAS CITY - Miguel Vargas has turned his White Sox run into something nobody could have seen coming a year ago.
On Tuesday, he arrived as the American League Player of the Week and as the first player in franchise history to post at least 30 doubles, 30 home runs, 20 stolen bases and 100 runs scored in a single season. That kind of production has put him in the conversation as one of the best third basemen in the game and, maybe, an AL MVP candidate.
Just as important, it has changed the way he’s viewed inside the clubhouse.
White Sox manager Will Venable called Vargas “right in the middle of everything,” praising not just the numbers but the way he carries himself around the team.
“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,” 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 knew Vargas from his time in the Texas organization during Vargas’ rough 2024 season, when the infielder came to the White Sox from the Dodgers in a three-team, eight-player deal at the Trade Deadline. Vargas played 42 games in that miserable franchise-wide season, and through the first month of 2025 he still hadn’t looked like an impact player.
That picture has changed completely.
Venable said he saw enough in Vargas’ offensive profile - contact, swing decisions and the damage he could do - to know the 2024 struggles were surprising.
“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.”
Vargas, for his part, has kept the focus on the team. Before talking to the media Tuesday evening, he was lamenting the lack of success for his Fantasy Football team. And when asked which of his milestones means the most, he didn’t pick a home run total or a stat line.
“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.”
He also said the season has brought him real enjoyment after the grind of the past couple years.
“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.”
And in a year that has already forced a lot of reassessments, Vargas offered the clearest sign yet of how far he’s come.
“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.”
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