Miguel Vargas entered the 2023 season as the Los Angeles Dodgers’ starting second baseman, but several injuries and inconsistencies at the plate led to a demotion to Triple-A Oklahoma City in July.
Vargas’ year got off to a rough start when he fractured his left pinky finger in Spring Training and was unable to swing a bat for a brief stretch. Then at the start of the regular season, he was hit on the hand by a pitch that set him back further.
Vargas was never able to find a rhythm as he hit just .195/.305/.367 with 15 doubles, four triples, seven home runs and 32 RBI in 304 plate appearances (81 games) before getting optioned to OKC for the remainder of the season.
Vargas believes the adversity he faced as a Dodgers rookie in 2023 helped him become mentally tougher, via Juan Toribio of MLB.com:
“It was really tough for me. I’ve never struggled like that before,” Vargas said. “Obviously, every player’s goal is to play in the Majors. It was really difficult for me to accept that I was struggling that bad and that I was getting sent down, but things just didn’t go as I planned. My family really helped me this offseason. They helped me understand that failure is part of the game and life. I just had to learn from that and I think last year made me a stronger person.”
Vargas had somewhat of a bounce back after his demotion to Oklahoma City, posting a 119 wRC+ with 10 home runs, 43 RBI and 45 runs scored in 60 games.
Although his rookie season didn’t go as planned, Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman said the team still has high hopes for the 24-year-old.
Vargas started the 2024 season with OKC, where he has swung the bat well of late. Consistent production should lend to an opportunity with the Dodgers at some point this season.
Miguel Vargas now playing left field
Although he is an infielder by trade, Vargas reported to Dodgers camp as a left fielder, which could potentially lead to more playing time at the big league level.
Vargas took well to playing left field during Spring Training and appreciated receiving instruction from Andre Ethier.
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