Miguel Vargas

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked Los Angeles Dodgers #3 prospect in 2023
  BA Grade/Risk: 60/Medium
  
  Track Record: Lazaro Vargas was one of Cuba's best hitters throughout the 1980s and '90s. His son Miguel inherited his father's gifts and emerged as one of Cuba's top amateur hitters before he left the country in 2015. He signed with the Dodgers two years later for $300,000. Vargas continued to hit at every level and owns a career .313 average. He earned a selection to the Futures Game in July and received his first big league callup on Aug. 3. He doubled in his first career at-bat.
  
  Scouting Report: Vargas is as complete a hitter as any player his age. He has outstanding control of the strike zone, an innate sense for which pitches to attack and an elite feel for the barrel. He squares up all types of pitches with a direct, inside-out swing that stays in the zone for a long time and covers the entire plate, giving pitchers few holes to attack. He naturally drives the ball the opposite way to right-center field and has begun turning on pitches on the inner half. Vargas doesn't have huge raw power, but he's a borderline plus-plus hitter who makes so much quality contact he should reach 20-plus home runs as he gets stronger. Vargas has remade his body to become sleeker and faster and is now a plus runner who posted the second-fastest sprint speed on the Dodgers in 2022. The improved agility has helped his range at third base, but he's still a below-average defender whose actions, footwork, throwing accuracy and focus need improvement. He is raw and inexperienced at first base, second base and left field.
  
  The Future: Vargas earns frequent comparisons to countryman Yuli Gurriel and has similar potential to be a premier hitter who contends for batting titles. The Dodgers will try to find Vargas' best position to get him in the lineup every day in 2023.
  
  Scouting Grades: Hitting: 65. Power: 50. Speed: 60. Fielding: 40. Arm: 55
• 
  Ranked Los Angeles Dodgers #3 prospect in 2022
  Track Record: Vargas is the son of Cuban baseball legend Lazaro Vargas, a former Serie Nacional MVP who led two Cuba to two Olympic gold medals in the 1990s. The younger Vargas emerged as one of Cuba’s top hitters as an amateur and left the country with his father in 2015, signing with the Dodgers for $300,000 two years later. After signing, Vargas immediately established himself as one of the best hitters in the Dodgers system. He hit .330 in his pro debut, .308 the following year and had his best season yet in 2021. He hit .319 with a career-high 23 home runs while advancing to Double-A and finished third in the minors in hits.
  
  Scouting Report: Vargas is a natural-born hitter with an uncanny feel for the barrel. His flat swing keeps his bat in the zone for a long time and covers the entire plate, allowing him to drive balls no matter where they’re pitched. His inside-out swing naturally drives balls the other way into the right-center gap, but he began turning on pitches in 2021 and surprised even Dodgers officials with his above-average pull-side power. He rarely strikes out and is a consensus plus hitter. Vargas faces more questions defensively. He catches balls hit at him and has solid hands, but his slow feet limit his range and mobility at third base. He is a fringy defender with a slightly better than average arm and may have to move to first.
  
  The Future: Vargas draws comparisons to fellow countryman Yuli Gurriel as a hitter and has similar impact potential. He’ll open 2022 at Triple-A and could make his major league debut during the year.
• 
  Ranked Los Angeles Dodgers #9 prospect in 2021
  Hitting: 60. Power: 50. Running: 45. Fielding: 40. Arm: 50.
  
  TRACK RECORD: Vargas is the son of international baseball legend Lazaro Vargas, who played 22 seasons in Cuba and led the country to Olympic gold medals in 1992 and ’96. He left the island with his father in 2015 and signed with the Dodgers for $300,000 in 2017. Vargas quickly emerged as one of the top hitters in the Dodgers’ system, batting .330 in his pro debut despite not playing for two years. He advanced to high Class A as a 19-year-old in 2019 and stood out in instructional league in 2020.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Vargas is a uniquely advanced hitter for his age. He has quick hands, elite hand-eye coordination and drives the ball the other way with authority. Vargas wears out the right-center field gap and racks up doubles, but he’s still learning to pull the ball in the air and has yet to show he can turn on velocity inside. The Dodgers see the physical ability to make the adjustment and believe it’s a matter of intent. Vargas is a slow mover without a lot of twitch in the field. He’s a below-average third baseman and played some second base during instructs, but he is likely a first baseman long term. He has average arm strength.
  
  THE FUTURE: Vargas’ hitting ability is that of an everyday player. He’ll try to find his best position in 2021.
• 
  Ranked Los Angeles Dodgers #21 prospect in 2020
  TRACK RECORD: Vargas was one Cuba's top young hitters and left the island with his father, Cuban baseball legend Lazaro Vargas, in 2015. The Dodgers signed him for $300,000 nearly two years later. Vargas played his first full season in 2019 and ranked second in the low Class A Midwest League in batting (.325) before receiving a promotion to high Class A Rancho Cucamonga, where he excelled as a 19-year-old.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Vargas takes an advanced approach and has supreme hand-eye coordination, allowing him to wait pitchers out and drive the ball he wants. He makes a conscious effort to drive the ball the other way with an inside-out swing. Vargas rarely pulls the ball in the air, but with his natural hitting gifts, he could become a plus hitter with 20 home run power once he starts turning on balls. Vargas is a slow mover at third base with limited lateral range and an average arm, so most believe his future is at first base.
  
  THE FUTURE: Vargas will go as far as his bat takes him. He may see Double-A in 2020.
• 
  Ranked Los Angeles Dodgers #21 prospect in 2019
  Track Record: Vargas is the son of Cuban baseball legend Lazaro Vargas, an infielder who played 22 years in Cuba's Serie Nacional and won two Olympic gold medals with the country's national team. After the younger Vargas starred for Cuba in the 2014 15U World Cup in Mexico and 2015 18U World Cup in Japan, father and son left the island together in Nov. 2015. Nearly two years later, in Sept. 2017, the Dodgers signed Miguel Vargas for $300,000.
  
  Scouting Report: Vargas had a reputation as one of Cuba's top youth hitters and lived up to it in his pro debut, batting .400/.464/.592 at the Rookie levels before finishing the year at low Class A Great Lakes. Strong and physical at 6-foot-3, 198 pounds, Vargas combines an advanced approach, supreme hand-eye coordination and plus raw power. He has an inside-out swing that primarily sends drives for doubles into the right-center gap, but once he learns to pull the ball evaluators expect his home run numbers to spike. Defensively, Vargas has quick hands and an above-average arm at third base, but his slow-twitch body has most evaluators projecting him to first.
  
  The Future: Vargas will have to mash to rise as a likely first baseman, but he has the offensive tools to do it. He'll start 2019 back at Great Lakes.

Minor League Top Prospects

• 
  Ranked Texas League #10 prospect in 2021
  On a Tulsa team loaded with prospects, Vargas’ ability to make hitting look easy stood out. The 21-year-old led the league with a .321 average, becoming one of just two qualifying players to top .300 in a league where the league batting average was .248. Vargas is a pure hitter who is much more likely to threaten for batting titles than home run crowns, but he has started to tap into his power potential as well. His approach is to drive the ball back up the middle or go the other way if a pitcher stays away from him, but he hit 23 home runs this year between High-A and Double-A after never hitting more than seven in any previous season. Vargas is a fringe-average third baseman who could also play a below-average second base and an average first. His dangerous bat should give him that option.
• 
  Ranked Midwest League #2 prospect in 2021
  Vargas has gradually turned himself into one of the Dodgers’ best prospects. “He might have hit as consistently well as any player I saw in High-A this season,” a scout said, “seemingly always producing when needed.” Vargas advanced to Double-A in mid June and kept up the pace. He hit .319/.380/.526 with a career-high 23 home runs between the two stops. Defensively, Vargas has received praise for his work ethic at third base, though there are still questions as to whether the Dodgers will hold him there or eventually move him across the field to first base.
• 
  Ranked Midwest League #14 prospect in 2019
  What began as a 22-year career for Cuban infielder Lazaro Vargas has since spilled over to watching his son, Miguel Vargas, begin a career of his own. By the time they escaped the island in 2015, Miguel Vargas had established himself as a name to watch on the Cuban circuit, leading the Dodgers to sign a check for $300,000 in 2017 to secure Vargas. At 6-foot-3, 205 pounds, Vargas has some natural raw power at his disposal and still being just 19 years old, his power numbers are expected to develop. With fantastic hand-eye coordination, Vargas already shows a knack for controlling the strike zone but will need to learn to pull the ball a bit more, as his approach is very opposite-field oriented at this point. Defensively, Vargas played third base with Great Lakes, but evaluators have expressed concern that a lack of quick-twitch athleticism could ultimately force a transition to first base.
• 
  Ranked Pioneer League #8 prospect in 2018
  Vargas hadn’t played baseball for two years after defecting from Cuba along with his father, Lazaro Vargas, who played 22 years for the Havana Industriales in Cuba’s Serie Nacional and won two Olympic gold medals with his country’s national team. Understandably rusty when he first started working out at the Dodgers’ complex in Arizona, Vargas proceeded to tear up the Rookie-level Arizona League in eight games before showing up in Ogden, where he enticed observers with his advanced approach, supreme hand-eye coordination and plus raw power. It’s not just pull-side power, as Vargas’ inside-out swing allows him to drive balls to the right-center gap. Eight of his 11 doubles for Ogden and one of his two home runs were hit to right field. A second baseman with quick hands during his early years in Cuba, Vargas played more third base with Ogden. A slow-twitch body that will continue to grow will likely push him to first base. “He came out swinging the bat right away,” Ogden manager Jeremy Rodriguez said.

Top 100 Rankings

• Ranked Baseball America's #29 prospect in 2023
• Ranked Baseball America's #40 prospect in 2022

• February, 2023 Scouting Report
  BA Grade/Risk: 60/Medium
  
  Track Record: Lazaro Vargas was one of Cuba's best hitters throughout the 1980s and '90s. His son Miguel inherited his father's gifts and emerged as one of Cuba's top amateur hitters before he left the country in 2015. He signed with the Dodgers two years later for $300,000. Vargas continued to hit at every level and owns a career .313 average. He earned a selection to the Futures Game in July and received his first big league callup on Aug. 3. He doubled in his first career at-bat.
  
  Scouting Report: Vargas is as complete a hitter as any player his age. He has outstanding control of the strike zone, an innate sense for which pitches to attack and an elite feel for the barrel. He squares up all types of pitches with a direct, inside-out swing that stays in the zone for a long time and covers the entire plate, giving pitchers few holes to attack. He naturally drives the ball the opposite way to right-center field and has begun turning on pitches on the inner half. Vargas doesn't have huge raw power, but he's a borderline plus-plus hitter who makes so much quality contact he should reach 20-plus home runs as he gets stronger. Vargas has remade his body to become sleeker and faster and is now a plus runner who posted the second-fastest sprint speed on the Dodgers in 2022. The improved agility has helped his range at third base, but he's still a below-average defender whose actions, footwork, throwing accuracy and focus need improvement. He is raw and inexperienced at first base, second base and left field.
  
  The Future: Vargas earns frequent comparisons to countryman Yuli Gurriel and has similar potential to be a premier hitter who contends for batting titles. The Dodgers will try to find Vargas' best position to get him in the lineup every day in 2023.
  
  Scouting Grades: Hitting: 65. Power: 50. Speed: 60. Fielding: 40. Arm: 55
• December, 2022 Scouting Report
  BA Grade/Risk: 60/Medium
  
  Track Record: Lazaro Vargas was one of Cuba's best hitters throughout the 1980s and '90s. His son Miguel inherited his father's gifts and emerged as one of Cuba's top amateur hitters before he left the country in 2015. He signed with the Dodgers two years later for $300,000. Vargas continued to hit at every level and owns a career .313 average. He earned a selection to the Futures Game in July and received his first big league callup on Aug. 3. He doubled in his first career at-bat.
  
  Scouting Report: Vargas is as complete a hitter as any player his age. He has outstanding control of the strike zone, an innate sense for which pitches to attack and an elite feel for the barrel. He squares up all types of pitches with a direct, inside-out swing that stays in the zone for a long time and covers the entire plate, giving pitchers few holes to attack. He naturally drives the ball the opposite way to right-center field and has begun turning on pitches on the inner half. Vargas doesn't have huge raw power, but he's a borderline plus-plus hitter who makes so much quality contact he should reach 20-plus home runs as he gets stronger. Vargas has remade his body to become sleeker and faster and is now a plus runner who posted the second-fastest sprint speed on the Dodgers in 2022. The improved agility has helped his range at third base, but he's still a below-average defender whose actions, footwork, throwing accuracy and focus need improvement. He is raw and inexperienced at first base, second base and left field.
  
  The Future: Vargas earns frequent comparisons to countryman Yuli Gurriel and has similar potential to be a premier hitter who contends for batting titles. The Dodgers will try to find Vargas' best position to get him in the lineup every day in 2023.
  
  Scouting Grades: Hitting: 65. Power: 50. Speed: 60. Fielding: 40. Arm: 55
• April, 2022 Scouting Report
  BA Grade: 60/Medium
  
  Track Record: Vargas is the son of Cuban baseball legend Lazaro Vargas, a former Serie Nacional MVP who led two Cuba to two Olympic gold medals in the 1990s. The younger Vargas emerged as one of Cuba&#39s top hitters as an amateur and left the country with his father in 2015, signing with the Dodgers for $300,000 two years later. After signing, Vargas immediately established himself as one of the best hitters in the Dodgers system. He hit .330 in his pro debut, .308 the following year and had his best season yet in 2021. He hit .319 with a career-high 23 home runs while advancing to Double-A and finished third in the minors in hits.
  
  Scouting Report: Vargas is a natural-born hitter with an uncanny feel for the barrel. His flat swing keeps his bat in the zone for a long time and covers the entire plate, allowing him to drive balls no matter where they&#39re pitched. His inside-out swing naturally drives balls the other way into the right-center gap, but he began turning on pitches in 2021 and surprised even Dodgers officials with his above-average pull-side power. He rarely strikes out and is a consensus plus hitter. Vargas faces more questions defensively. He catches balls hit at him and has solid hands, but his slow feet limit his range and mobility at third base. He is a fringy defender with a slightly better than average arm and may have to move to first.
  
  The Future: Vargas draws comparisons to fellow countryman Yuli Gurriel as a hitter and has similar impact potential. He&#39ll open 2022 at Triple-A and could make his major league debut during the year.
  
  Scouting Grades: Hit: 65. Power: 55. Speed: 45. Fielding: 45. Arm: 50.
• December, 2021 Scouting Report
  Track Record: Vargas is the son of Cuban baseball legend Lazaro Vargas, a former Serie Nacional MVP who led two Cuba to two Olympic gold medals in the 1990s. The younger Vargas emerged as one of Cuba’s top hitters as an amateur and left the country with his father in 2015, signing with the Dodgers for $300,000 two years later. After signing, Vargas immediately established himself as one of the best hitters in the Dodgers system. He hit .330 in his pro debut, .308 the following year and had his best season yet in 2021. He hit .319 with a career-high 23 home runs while advancing to Double-A and finished third in the minors in hits.
  
  Scouting Report: Vargas is a natural-born hitter with an uncanny feel for the barrel. His flat swing keeps his bat in the zone for a long time and covers the entire plate, allowing him to drive balls no matter where they’re pitched. His inside-out swing naturally drives balls the other way into the right-center gap, but he began turning on pitches in 2021 and surprised even Dodgers officials with his above-average pull-side power. He rarely strikes out and is a consensus plus hitter. Vargas faces more questions defensively. He catches balls hit at him and has solid hands, but his slow feet limit his range and mobility at third base. He is a fringy defender with a slightly better than average arm and may have to move to first.
  
  The Future: Vargas draws comparisons to fellow countryman Yuli Gurriel as a hitter and has similar impact potential. He’ll open 2022 at Triple-A and could make his major league debut during the year.
• October, 2021 Scouting Report
  Vargas has gradually turned himself into one of the Dodgers’ best prospects. “He might have hit as consistently well as any player I saw in High-A this season,” a scout said, “seemingly always producing when needed.” Vargas advanced to Double-A in mid June and kept up the pace. He hit .319/.380/.526 with a career-high 23 home runs between the two stops. Defensively, Vargas has received praise for his work ethic at third base, though there are still questions as to whether the Dodgers will hold him there or eventually move him across the field to first base.
• October, 2021 Scouting Report
  On a Tulsa team loaded with prospects, Vargas’ ability to make hitting look easy stood out. The 21-year-old led the league with a .321 average, becoming one of just two qualifying players to top .300 in a league where the league batting average was .248. Vargas is a pure hitter who is much more likely to threaten for batting titles than home run crowns, but he has started to tap into his power potential as well. His approach is to drive the ball back up the middle or go the other way if a pitcher stays away from him, but he hit 23 home runs this year between High-A and Double-A after never hitting more than seven in any previous season. Vargas is a fringe-average third baseman who could also play a below-average second base and an average first. His dangerous bat should give him that option.
• July, 2021 Scouting Report
  Hitting: 60. Power: 50. Running: 45. Fielding: 40. Arm: 50.
  
  TRACK RECORD: Vargas is the son of international baseball legend Lazaro Vargas, who played 22 seasons in Cuba and led the country to Olympic gold medals in 1992 and '96. He left the island with his father in 2015 and signed with the Dodgers for $300,000 in 2017. Vargas quickly emerged as one of the top hitters in the Dodgers' system, batting .330 in his pro debut despite not playing for two years. He advanced to high Class A as a 19-year-old in 2019 and stood out in instructional league in 2020.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Vargas is a uniquely advanced hitter for his age. He has quick hands, elite hand-eye coordination and drives the ball the other way with authority. Vargas wears out the right-center field gap and racks up doubles, but he's still learning to pull the ball in the air and has yet to show he can turn on velocity inside. The Dodgers see the physical ability to make the adjustment and believe it's a matter of intent. Vargas is a slow mover without a lot of twitch in the field. He's a below-average third baseman and played some second base during instructs, but he is likely a first baseman long term. He has average arm strength.
  
  THE FUTURE: Vargas' hitting ability is that of an everyday player. He'll try to find his best position in 2021.
• March, 2021 Scouting Report
  Hitting: 60. Power: 50. Running: 45. Fielding: 40. Arm: 50.
  
  TRACK RECORD: Vargas is the son of international baseball legend Lazaro Vargas, who played 22 seasons in Cuba and led the country to Olympic gold medals in 1992 and ’96. He left the island with his father in 2015 and signed with the Dodgers for $300,000 in 2017. Vargas quickly emerged as one of the top hitters in the Dodgers’ system, batting .330 in his pro debut despite not playing for two years. He advanced to high Class A as a 19-year-old in 2019 and stood out in instructional league in 2020.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Vargas is a uniquely advanced hitter for his age. He has quick hands, elite hand-eye coordination and drives the ball the other way with authority. Vargas wears out the right-center field gap and racks up doubles, but he’s still learning to pull the ball in the air and has yet to show he can turn on velocity inside. The Dodgers see the physical ability to make the adjustment and believe it’s a matter of intent. Vargas is a slow mover without a lot of twitch in the field. He’s a below-average third baseman and played some second base during instructs, but he is likely a first baseman long term. He has average arm strength.
  
  THE FUTURE: Vargas’ hitting ability is that of an everyday player. He’ll try to find his best position in 2021.
• December, 2020 Scouting Report
  Hitting: 60. Power: 50. Running: 45. Fielding: 40. Arm: 50.
  
  TRACK RECORD: Vargas is the son of international baseball legend Lazaro Vargas, who played 22 seasons in Cuba and led the country to Olympic gold medals in 1992 and ’96. He left the island with his father in 2015 and signed with the Dodgers for $300,000 in 2017. Vargas quickly emerged as one of the top hitters in the Dodgers’ system, batting .330 in his pro debut despite not playing for two years. He advanced to high Class A as a 19-year-old in 2019 and stood out in instructional league in 2020.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Vargas is a uniquely advanced hitter for his age. He has quick hands, elite hand-eye coordination and drives the ball the other way with authority. Vargas wears out the right-center field gap and racks up doubles, but he’s still learning to pull the ball in the air and has yet to show he can turn on velocity inside. The Dodgers see the physical ability to make the adjustment and believe it’s a matter of intent. Vargas is a slow mover without a lot of twitch in the field. He’s a below-average third baseman and played some second base during instructs, but he is likely a first baseman long term. He has average arm strength.
  
  THE FUTURE: Vargas’ hitting ability is that of an everyday player. He’ll try to find his best position in 2021.
• July, 2020 Scouting Report
  TRACK RECORD: Vargas was one Cuba’s top young hitters and left the island with his father, Cuban baseball legend Lazaro Vargas, in 2015. The Dodgers signed him for $300,000 nearly two years later. Vargas played his first full season in 2019 and ranked second in the low Class A Midwest League in batting (.325) before receiving a promotion to high Class A Rancho Cucamonga, where he excelled as a 19-year-old.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Vargas takes an advanced approach and has supreme hand-eye coordination, allowing him to wait pitchers out and drive the ball he wants. He makes a conscious effort to drive the ball the other way with an inside-out swing. Vargas rarely pulls the ball in the air, but with his natural hitting gifts, he could become a plus hitter with 20 home run power once he starts turning on balls. Vargas is a slow mover at third base with limited lateral range and an average arm, so most believe his future is at first base. BA GRADE 45 Risk: High BA GRADE 40 Risk: Medium BA GRADE 45 Risk: High
  
  THE FUTURE: Vargas will go as far as his bat takes him. He may see Double-A in 2020.
• February, 2020 Scouting Report
  TRACK RECORD: Vargas was one Cuba's top young hitters and left the island with his father, Cuban baseball legend Lazaro Vargas, in 2015. The Dodgers signed him for $300,000 nearly two years later. Vargas played his first full season in 2019 and ranked second in the low Class A Midwest League in batting (.325) before receiving a promotion to high Class A Rancho Cucamonga, where he excelled as a 19-year-old.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Vargas takes an advanced approach and has supreme hand-eye coordination, allowing him to wait pitchers out and drive the ball he wants. He makes a conscious effort to drive the ball the other way with an inside-out swing. Vargas rarely pulls the ball in the air, but with his natural hitting gifts, he could become a plus hitter with 20 home run power once he starts turning on balls. Vargas is a slow mover at third base with limited lateral range and an average arm, so most believe his future is at first base.
  
  THE FUTURE: Vargas will go as far as his bat takes him. He may see Double-A in 2020.
• December, 2018 Scouting Report
  What began as a 22-year career for Cuban infielder Lazaro Vargas has since spilled over to watching his son, Miguel Vargas, begin a career of his own. By the time they escaped the island in 2015, Miguel Vargas had established himself as a name to watch on the Cuban circuit, leading the Dodgers to sign a check for $300,000 in 2017 to secure Vargas. At 6-foot-3, 205 pounds, Vargas has some natural raw power at his disposal and still being just 19 years old, his power numbers are expected to develop. With fantastic hand-eye coordination, Vargas already shows a knack for controlling the strike zone but will need to learn to pull the ball a bit more, as his approach is very opposite-field oriented at this point. Defensively, Vargas played third base with Great Lakes, but evaluators have expressed concern that a lack of quick-twitch athleticism could ultimately force a transition to first base.