Miguel Vargas swipes two bases in loss to Astros

That’s 29 homers and 30 doubles for Vargas. He’s tied for fourth in the majors in extra-base hits, and he’s alone in fourth with 87 runs scored. Barring an injury, he’s going to be the first White Sox player to score 100 runs since 2006, when both Jim Thome and Jermaine Dye did it.

Vargas and the powerful White Sox lineup hit three homers in the win. This one gives the 26-year-old his 28th home run of the season, and he also drew a walk to help improve his OPS to .835 on the campaign. Vargas is never going to hit for a high average, but the power is readily apparent, and he just keeps getting better.

Vargas doubled and scored on Braden Montgomery’s two-run triple as part of a five-run fourth inning off of Jackson Jobe. He then tagged Enmanuel De Jesus for a 392-foot (104.7-mph EV) two-run shot in the sixth inning that increased the Sox’ lead to 8-3. He also capped off their scoring with a 397-foot (100.7-mph EV) solo shot off of Ty Madden in the eighth. Vargas has been very productive in the middle of the White Sox’ lineup this season, slashing .239/.343/.486 with 27 homers, 71 RBI and 12 stolen bases across his 523 plate appearances.

Vargas’ home run was his 22nd of the season. He hit a two-run shot off Ronel Blanco in the sixth inning. Vargas’ home run was his first since July 10 against the Athletics. Entering play Sunday, he was 9-for-40 (.225) with two RBI and eight strikeouts in his last 10 games. Vargas is hitting .242 with an .832 OPS and 63 RBI this year.

It was a close game until the White Sox’s five-run ninth, when Vargas doubled for his second RBI. He has five three-hit games this year, matching his total from his 309 career games entering 2026. He is currently tied for eighth place in MLB with 23 doubles and fourth with 68 runs scored.

Vargas checked out fine after being hit by a pitch on the left hand during the eighth inning of Friday’s blowout win in Toronto to kick off the second half. The 26-year-old middle-of-the-order force is at third base and hitting third following the injury scare.

White Sox manager Will Venable downplayed concern while speaking to reporters following the contest. Vargas will undergo precautionary evaluation after after being hit in the left hand by a 93.3 mph sinker in the eighth inning of a one-sided affair. He was lifted for pinch-runner Luisangel Acuña at the time, finishing 1-for-4 with a run scored. The 26-year-old, who launched a solo homer during his first career All-Star Game appearance earlier this week, has blossomed into Chicago’s middle-of-the-order force, hitting .245/.356/.490 with a career-high 21 homers, 59 RBI and 11 steals in 95 games this season.

Vargas supplied the lone hit for either side in a low-scoring Midsummer Classic when he took his former Dodgers minor league teammate Justin Wrobleski deep with a 433-foot blast into the second deck in left field in the eighth inning. The American League’s pitching staff was the story in this one, piling up an astronomical 15 strikeouts and tossed a three-hit shutout. Vargas was one of the driving forces behind Chicago’s rapid turnaround, finishing the first half with a .245/.355/.493 slash line with a career-high 21 homers, 59 RBI and 11 stolen bases across 409 plate appearances through 94 games. The White Sox kick off the second half with a road series against the Blue Jays.

Vargas blasted a three-run homer off Guardians starter Gavin Williams in the fifth inning to give the White Sox a 3-1 lead. It was the 20th homer of the season for Vargas, who continues to put together a career year as he’s now sitting on 20 homers and 54 RBI with just over a week to go before the MLB All-Star break.

Vargas reached all four times, as he also drew two walks. The 26-year-old has 19 homers on the season — this one a two-run shot off Luinder Avila in the first inning — and he’s driven in 52 runs; putting him right around a 100-RBI pace on the season. It took a while, but Vargas is starting to show why he was considered such an elite prospect when he was a member of the Dodgers.