Miguel Vargas delivered the biggest swing of the All-Star Game, but Yankees outfielder Cody Bellinger somehow took home MVP honors.
What better way to celebrate your first career All-Star selection than by delivering the biggest offensive highlight of the game? That’s exactly what Chicago White Sox third baseman Miguel Vargas did on Tuesday, launching a massive home run as the American League coasted to a 4-0 win in Philadelphia.
Somehow, it still wasn’t enough for Vargas to be named the All-Star Game MVP.
That honor instead went to New York Yankees outfielder Cody Bellinger, whose first-inning RBI single opened the scoring for the American League. Bellinger helped set the tone for the victory, but Vargas undoubtedly provided the game’s defining moment.
Vargas entered the game in an unexpected way. Junior Caminero was hit by a pitch in the top of the third inning and removed due to injury, forcing Vargas into the game as a pinch runner. He remained in the game at third base and quickly made his presence felt.
His first at-bat of the evening came in the top of the fifth against Washington Nationals left-hander Foster Griffin. Vargas ripped a line drive into center field at 104.3 mph, but was robbed of extra bases by Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Andy Pages, who ran down the ball in the gap.
The next time Vargas came to the plate, he made sure to hit it where nobody could catch it.
Facing Dodgers left-hander Justin Wrobleski, Vargas launched a ball 433 feet into the second deck of the left-field seats at Citizens Bank Park, providing the best offensive highlight of the evening with one swing.
Vargas has developed a knack for heroics with the White Sox this season, and he delivered once again on one of baseball’s biggest stages. It was a fitting way for his first All-Star Game appearance to unfold, even if voters failed to reward him for it.
And speaking of fitting, what better way for things to play out than for Vargas to be robbed by one former Dodgers teammate, only to hit a home run off another? It’s remarkable how far he has come since being traded by Los Angeles. It was extra sweet for White Sox fans to watch Vargas get the last laugh in the Midsummer Classic.
Bellinger’s first-inning hit was important, but Vargas produced the swing everyone will remember. He hit the game’s only home run, added an insurance run and supplied a signature moment worthy of the MVP award. It is difficult to understand how that résumé was not enough, especially in a game that lacked other memorable moments.
Vargas played in 94 games for the White Sox before the All-Star break, hitting 20 doubles and 21 home runs while posting an .848 OPS. He has been a central figure in the middle of the order for a White Sox team that is exceeding expectations, currently sitting in first place and, frankly, has been one of the biggest stories in baseball this season.
Vargas may not have received the trophy he deserved Tuesday night, but that should not take anything away from what he accomplished. In his first career All-Star Game, he stepped into the spotlight unexpectedly and showed the entire baseball world why he belonged there.
When Chicago heads to Toronto on Friday to begin the second half of the regular season, it will be back to business and chasing the ultimate goal. But with every moment like this, and every time the White Sox and their players flourish on the national stage, they continue to prove that they are legitimate.
Miguel Vargas was snubbed for All-Star Game MVP, but he could not have represented the White Sox any better.
