RADIO
Miguel Vargas 2022 Outlook: Versatility Could Help Rookie Find ABs
3 years agoThe veteran-heavy Dodgers roster doesn't have many holes in it entering the 2022 season but the addition of the designated hitter position in the National League offers another path to playing time for promising rookies like Vargas to break into the big leagues. Primarily a third baseman in the minors, the 22-year-old infielder also saw time at both first base and second base last year. Vargas has always shown an above-average hit tool but he added above-average power to his resume in 2021 after getting stronger during the 2020 minor league layoff. Prior to the pandemic, he set a career-high in home runs with seven in 124 minor league games in 2019. He matched that total in his first 37 games of the 2021 season at High-A before moving up to Double-A where he slugged another 16 dingers in 83 games. His offensive onslaught at Double-A also included a 15% strikeout rate and .321 batting average. For the year, Vargas maintained a 141 wRC+ between the two leagues. The Dodgers will no doubt want to see how Vargas fares in Triple-A before giving him an opportunity at the big league level. If he maintains the newfound power, he could be pushing for big-league at-bats by June.
