Chicago White Sox third baseman Miguel Vargas made clear Tuesday that his breakout season remains secondary to Chicago’s playoff push. The White Sox entered the night 80-76, one game behind the Cleveland Guardians in the AL Central while holding the American League’s final Wild Card position with six games remaining in the 2026 season.
The White Sox open a three-game set vs. the Kansas City Royals Tuesday after taking seven of the teams’ first 10 meetings this season. Vargas enters the stretch batting .251 with 33 home runs, 88 RBIs, 20 stolen bases and 101 runs scored across 154 games.
MLB.com’s Scott Merkin shared Vargas’ response on X, formerly Twitter, after asking which of his individual accomplishments meant the most.
“The wins actually mean a lot for me. Sometimes I have a good game and we don’t win and it doesn’t feel as special.”
Article Continues BelowThe breakout third baseman's production has already placed him in White Sox history. He became the first player in franchise history to record at least 30 doubles, 30 home runs, 20 stolen bases and 100 runs in the same season. He also joined Magglio Ordonez and Luis Robert Jr. as the only White Sox players with at least 30 homers and 20 steals in one year.
His late-season surge has arrived at an important time. MLB named Vargas the American League Player of the Week on Monday after he went 8-for-23 with three home runs, nine RBIs and two stolen bases over seven games. His season totals also include 31 doubles, a .844 OPS and 5.3 WAR.
The White Sox’s current playoff position marks a major turnaround after the club won just 41 games in 2024 and 60 in 2025. Chicago now holds the American League’s final Wild Card spot and sits one game behind Cleveland in the AL Central, while Houston entered Tuesday three games back at 77-79.
After three games against Kansas City, Chicago closes the season at home against the Colorado Rockies. The White Sox’s breakout 26-year-old enters the final six games focused on helping the club secure a postseason berth.