White Sox 3B Miguel Vargas Named Hank Aaron Award Finalist

The national recognition continues for Chicago White Sox third baseman Miguel Vargas, who has been named a finalist for the 2026 Hank Aaron Award.

The award is presented annually to the best overall offensive performer in each league. It was originally introduced in 1999 to commemorate the 25th anniversary of Hank Aaron surpassing Babe Ruth as Major League Baseball's all-time home run leader.

The winners are determined through a combination of fan voting and selections from a panel of Hall of Famers.

Only one White Sox player has ever won the award. First baseman José Abreu took home the honor during the 2020 season, when he was also named American League MVP.

Like the MVP Award, the Hank Aaron Award recognizes one winner from both the American League and National League. 10 finalists are named in each league, recognizing the players who produced the most outstanding offensive performances throughout the season.

The 2026 American League finalists are:

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Vargas won't win the award. He's up against some of the most prolific hitters in baseball, including the likely AL MVP in Alvarez. But even being recognized as one of the 10 best hitters in the American League is a worthwhile honor and a tremendous accomplishment for Vargas.

From where he started to where he is now, the turnaround is almost too drastic to believe.

This is a hitter who batted just .104 over 157 plate appearances with the White Sox in 2024. Now, two years later, he's one of the best hitters in the sport and leading a White Sox lineup on a postseason run, currently holding a 1-0 advantage over the Cleveland Guardians in the ALDS.

The other players on that list are franchise cornerstones, perennial All-Stars and middle-of-the-order bats. They're players you can build a team around. Vargas is now fully entrenched in that tier. As the White Sox look toward a bright future and try to build off their 2026 success, Vargas will be at the center of what Chicago is building.

He hit 31 doubles and 33 home runs, stole 22 bases, drove in 93 runs and scored 106 times during the 2026 season, becoming the first player in franchise history to reach all of those marks in a single season.

Vargas finished with an .837 OPS and posted a 5.3 fWAR campaign. He also dealt with some unfortunate batted-ball luck that could have led to even more offensive production.

I still don't think Vargas has reached his ceiling. And that's perhaps the most exciting part for White Sox fans.

The primary focus right now is on team success as Chicago looks to continue its postseason run. That being said, individual accolades like this one are encouraging to see, especially when it comes time to look toward the White Sox future.

Miguel Vargas has gone from one of the biggest question marks in the organization to one of the players Chicago can build around.