The Situation: With Justin Turner heading to the injured list with an abdominal strain…finally, the Dodgers turn to top third base prospect
Miguel Vargas to man the hot corner.
Background: Vargas was signed for $300,000 out of Cuba as a 17-year-old in 2017. He caught the attention of our Cal League contingent in 2019 during his full-season debut, showing an impressive enough feel for hit and power potential to get him onto the 2020 101. He’s hit everywhere since, not showing any signs of rust from limited 2020 reps. He’s grown into more power, knocking 23 home runs in 2021—and bumping up to a Top 50 prospect accordingly—and 15 so far this year. After over a half season in Triple-A with a near .300/.400/.500 line, Vargas was merely biding time until there was a major league opportunity in La La Land.
Scouting Report: At the risk of repeating myself, Vargas just hits everywhere. He will punish you in the zone and is disciplined enough to make you come in against him or he will take his walks. His swing is not traditionally pretty—even by right-handed hitter standards—and has some length to it, but he’s posted above-average contact rates and can drive the ball hard from any part of the zone. The batting practice show isn’t going to wow you, but the game power may play above the raw as he is quite adept at finding the good part of the barrel.
Plus hit and solid-average power will play most spots in the diamond, but is a pretty nice combo at third base. Vargas remains playable there despite his rather sturdy frame, but you are mostly hoping he battles it to a draw most nights. His arm strength can cover for some issues elsewhere in the defensive profile, but the Dodgers have gotten him run at other positions. Being the Dodgers that includes second base more than first base, and a bit of left field as well. He’s not likely to win a gold glove—or really even rack up positive runs—at any of them, but he’s a good enough defender to get into your lineup somewhere every day, and he’s a low risk above-average bat wherever he stands.
Immediate Big-League Future: Vargas is likely to be the everyday third baseman as long as Turner is out, but he’s also seen time at three other spots this season, so he does offer some of the Dodgers preferred positional flexibility. He’s here to hit though, and I expect him to be at least above-average at the plate in the short term. —Jeffrey Paternostro
Fantasy Impact: Well, the apple of the BP prospect staff’s eye is finally all grown up. Let’s start with the positives. Vargas found himself among the best at Triple-A with a .291/.382/.497 line that was good enough for a 115 DRC+. This is after overcoming a dreadful April to start the season. The splits are solid enough too. Vargas absolutely mashes lefties putting up a .358/.458/.605 this season alone. He has enough power to put the ball over the fence 20-25 times with a handful of steals if given a full sleight of at bats over the course of a season.
Sadly, this likely won’t be a long visit and it would be wise to temper expectations on output as you race to the waiver wire. Dodgers’ manager Dave Roberts said “it remains to be seen”, but maybe we can read the tea leaves. Newly acquired Joey Gallo enters the fray as Justin Turner takes a retroactive stint to the IL with a lingering injury to the abdomen. Meanwhile, Chris Taylor recently began his rehab assignment and should be back next week. Barring another injury, Vargas will likely return to Oklahoma City upon Taylor’s return.
Still, Vargas should get some looks over the next week at DH and 3B albeit at the bottom of the order. This year, when he is playing, he’s in the same vicinity as Alex Bregman, KeBryan Hayes, and Alec Bohm. For those of you keeping score at home, that is somewhere in the 10-12 range of those players who solely hold 3B eligibility. If you can add him in 12-teams or greater in an attempt to get a shot in the arm, he’s certainly worth the play, but just be fully prepared to churn the wire within the next two weeks. —Adam Lawler
https://www.baseballprospectus.com/pros ... ers-debut/
Before his Major League debut,
Miguel Vargas emerged from the visiting clubhouse with a huge smile on his face and just one earring hanging from his left ear. He proceeded to chat with the media and then took some hacks on the field.
Every step of the way, Vargas oozed a level of confidence that is rare for a 22-year-old. That confidence goes up another notch when the Cuban infielder has a bat in his hands. While his future position on defense is in question, his ability at the plate certainly isn’t.
Most scouts believe Vargas, the No. 5 prospect in the Dodgers’ organization per MLB Pipeline, has one of the best hit tools in the system. On Wednesday, Vargas flashed that skill in a hurry, going 2-for-4 with two RBIs in the Dodgers’ 3-0 win over the Giants at Oracle Park.
“He’s been around the game for quite some time and when you understand the game, he’s got a good heartbeat,” said Dodgers manager Dave Roberts. “He’s always kind of looking at the field and the game and understands the game, the scoreboard, but it’s an uncanny ability to slow things down.”
With six family members in attendance, Vargas hit an RBI double to right-center field in his first Major League at-bat. It had an exit velocity of 106 mph and traveled 396 feet, according to Statcast. Had Wednesday’s game been held at Dodger Stadium, Vargas would’ve been celebrating his first big league homer.
“I was really nervous when I was on the on-deck circle,” Vargas said in Spanish. “But once I stepped into the box, I didn’t feel anything.”
On the next pitch to James Outman, Vargas wasted no time and took off for third base, sliding in safely for his first career stolen base. He joined Jose Offerman as the only Dodgers ever to record an extra-base hit and steal a base in their Major League debut.
“I just felt incredible,” Vargas laughed. “I didn’t feel like anyone could stop me.”
Vargas was not done making an impact, however. In his next at-bat, Vargas drove in the second run of the game with an infield hit that drove in Max Muncy from third base. The play was initially ruled a fielder’s choice but was later changed to an RBI single.
“He’s an impressive hitter,” said Giants right-hander Alex Cobb. “I don’t know how old he is, but he’s a big league bat.”
Some players never develop the type of feel for the game that Vargas possesses at 22. The Dodgers have tried to get him to pull the ball more in the Minors, which would lead to more power. But Vargas loves going the other way, a skill a lot of seasoned big leaguers struggle with.
Most of that baseball IQ comes from his father, Lazaro, who played 22 years in the Cuban National Series and won two gold medals while playing for the Cuban national team. The two defected to the Bahamas together in 2015. Vargas’ father wanted his son to live out his dream of playing in the Majors.
“I came here to live out [my father's] dream, which was to play in the Major Leagues,” Vargas said in Spanish. “He never got a chance to do that. For me to be up here, it feels like I’m representing him as well.”
With Chris Taylor and Justin Turner scheduled to come off the injured list within the next few weeks, the Dodgers don’t know how long Vargas will be up in the Majors. Vargas could be up for a few days, weeks, or for the remainder of the season. He said he’s not concerned about what will happen in the future.
In fact, despite his name being thrown around in essentially every potential Juan Soto trade, Vargas never doubted his ability. Neither did the Dodgers, who insisted they weren’t prepared to watch Vargas leave in any trade. It became obvious why on Wednesday.
“We know that he’s been a tremendous hitter down in the Minor Leagues and we’re hoping that he does the same thing here in the big leagues,” said Dodgers left-hander Julio Urías, who didn’t allow a run in six-plus innings on Wednesday. “He has a great heart, and he had some great at-bats tonight.”
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