Infielder Miguel Vargas is off to a hot start with the Midwest League’s Great Lakes Loons, the Low-A affiliate of the Los Angeles Dodgers. Vargas is currently carrying a .309/.406/.383 slash line in the month of April.
His bat has really come alive as of late, as Vargas is 8-for-16 in his last three games with five RBIs and three runs scored. Obviously, his plate approach is clicking lately, but the bat-t0-ball right-hander says he hasn’t changed anything on how he handles his at-bats.
“I’m always working on my approach,” said Vargas. “I use the same approach every day, and it’s there when things are good, and it’s also there to help me out of slumps.”
Another thing that’s helping Vargas is his physical shape. Focusing heavily this offseason at preparing his body for an increased workload in 2019 is paying off for the 19-year old prospect.
“I worked a lot on my body during the offseason,” stated Vargas. “I want to stay healthy throughout the entire 140-game season, so I focused a lot on my body and overall strength.”
Building strength and working on his power will be important for Vargas, as he’s starting to take more reps at first base this season. While Vargas usually plays third base, many scouts project him more as a first baseman at the major-league level, and he is working hard at the position.
Logging 17 innings at the position this season, and 108 innings for his pro career is just the beginning for Vargas. While the position is still relatively new to Vargas he admits that he likes playing there.
“I’m enjoying first base so far,” explained Vargas. “It’s not as easy as it looks from the stands. People always think first base is easy, but it’s not. You have to be in good position to receive throws from the infielders and pitchers.”
MLB Pipeline ranks Vargas as the 27th-best Dodgers prospect, and estimates a 2022 debut for the versatile infielder. The 19-year-old Cuban signed with the Dodgers in September of 2017 and played his first North American pro season last year, hitting .330 with a pair of home runs and 15 doubles over time with three teams in rookie ball and Low-A.
Be sure to follow Miguel Vargas, as he continues to work hard at first base, and be a reliable bat for years to come.
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