Miguel

Vargas

Vargas had a two-run single in the top of the third inning to give the White Sox a 3-0 lead in a game they would eventually lose 6-4. He now has 40 RBI on the season. Vargas is hitting .241 with an .861 OPS, 44 runs, 15 home runs and nine stolen bases.

Vargas’s 383-foot double in the first would have been a homer in 11 ballparks. In Target Field, though, it probably would have been caught by a plus center fielder. The Twins, though, had Kody Clemens out there with Byron Buxton limited to DHing. Vargas now has 15 homers in 257 plate appearances this season. That’s one fewer than he had in 569 plate appearances last year and two more than he had in 591 career plate appearances prior to 2025.

It’s a significant hit for Chicago and fantasy managers as Murakami will remain on the shelf until at least late June, even in a best-case scenario. There’s a chance he’s out until around the All-Star break in mid-July. The 26-year-old power-hitter was putting together a phenomenal rookie campaign, slashing .240/.378/.560 with 43 runs scored, 20 homers, 41 RBI and one stolen base across 246 plate appearances through 57 games. There are some lingering contact concerns in his profile, but he’s looked like an over-the-fence power threat so far. There should be a clearer return timetable once he’s cleared to begin ramping up baseball activities. It’ll be Miguel Vargas moving over to cover first base with breakout prospect Jacob Gonzalez getting a chance with the White Sox in a multi-position role.

Vargas got the White Sox on the board in the third inning with an RBI double off of Troy Melton. They then scratched out a run off of Kyle Finnegan in the ninth inning to force extra innings. After the Tigers scored once in the top half of the frame, the White Sox were down to their final out with Drew Romo still standing on second base when Vargas obliterated an 0-1 changeup from Drew Anderson for a 391-foot (102.3 mph EV) two-run shot that sent the White Sox’ faithful into a frenzy. With his 2-for-5 night, Vargas is now slashing .235/.365/.485 with 13 homers and 34 RBI on the season.

Vargas finished the afternoon 1-for-3 with two walks and two runs scored. It’s the continuation of a full-on breakout for the former top prospect, as he’s lowered his strikeout percentage to a career-best and raised his walk percentage to a career-high, all while barreling the ball more than he ever has. The combination of patience, power, and contact points to this sustaining, and he even pulls fly balls in the air at an above-average clip. The White Sox line up for a seven-game homestand against the Twins and Tigers this upcoming week.

Vargas gave the White Sox a 3-0 lead with the five homers on the day off Jameson Taillon. The 26-year-old has really come alive after his ugly start, and he’s already up to 11 roundtrippers to pair with a .247/.373/.506 slash. That’ll play.

Vargas launched a 410-foot home run in the third inning that left the bat at 106.5 mph, and then hit another one 404 feet at 112.9 mph later in the fifth inning. The 26-year-old now has nine home runs and 21 RBI on the season to go along with a .228/.369/.471 slash line. He’s adjusted his launch angle to not be as dramatic, so he’s hitting fewer fly balls, but he’s making much harder contact with a 13 percent barrel rate and a career high 44 percent hard-hit rate. The batting average should rise closer to .240, and he’s going to be a valuable fantasy asset in many leagues this season.

Vargas has his seventh homer, and this one came off José Soriano to give Chicago a 5-0 lead. After getting off to a rough start, Vargas has improved his slash to .228/.360/.447. That’s a decent enough slash, but more impressive when you consider it was .153/.287/.306 on April 18.

Vargas’s homer is the fifth of the season for the 26-year-old, while the steal is the fourth. He also drew a walk, and after an awful start to the year, he’s now slashing .193/.333/.434. All but that batting average will play from a fantasy perspective, and the hits should start to fall on a more consistent basis.

In addition to those two hits, Vargas also drew a pair of walks. The 26-year-old has gone deep three times, but even with a four-reach game, his slash of .173/.315/.360 leaves much to be desired. Vargas should continue to see those numbers bump up, even if that’s partially due to the fact that it’s hard to imagine them getting much worse.