BALTIMORE — Miguel Vargas, a third baseman for the White Sox, was voted the team's first-half Most Valuable Player in a fan survey released on July 3, 2026. The 26-year-old entered play on Tuesday batting .252/.366/.500 and carried an .866 OPS into the White Sox's matchup at Camden Yards.

Vargas has hit 19 home runs and 15 doubles in the current season. He has played in all but two games so far this season. Over the week prior to Tuesday's game, Vargas batted .407/.500/.852.

White Sox manager Will Venable commented on Vargas's consistency. "He's been so consistent," Venable said. "Last year we saw it in flashes, we saw him in some stretches that lasted a little longer, but just wasn't able to really maintain it. He plays every day and he's running hard every day, he's getting on base every day. And he just hasn't stopped."

Vargas's average bat speed in the current season is 74.2 mph, an increase from 70.6 mph in the previous season. Last season, he hit 16 home runs and batted .234/.316/.401. Prior to joining the White Sox, Vargas played for the Los Angeles Dodgers and was acquired by the White Sox in a trade that included Michael Kopech.

Veteran outfielder Randal Grichuk described Vargas as a valued teammate. "He's a cornerstone third baseman," Grichuk said. "He's just a great teammate, great person to be around here pregame with, laughing and telling jokes with. And then obviously he works really hard and it shows out there. But he's as good of a human as he is a baseball player."

Vargas acknowledged the recognition but emphasized team objectives. "As a team we've been playing really good and we've got bigger goals than that," Vargas said. "I'm not a selfish guy, so I want to focus and end this half really strong and see how it takes for the second half too."

White Sox pitcher Davis Martin, who leads the team in WAR for the current season, received 10% of the vote in the fan survey. The White Sox have hit 116 home runs this season.