Pitchers also became more cautious. The percentage of pitches he saw inside the strike zone dropped from 51.5% in 2025 to 47.9% this season. Vargas rarely expanded his approach in response. His walk rate increased from 9.8% to 14.3%, allowing him to maintain a strong on-base percentage even when opponents avoided challenging him.
Bench coach Walker McKinven discussed how Vargas had preserved his swing decisions and contact ability while improving his capacity to drive the baseball. That consistency became particularly valuable alongside Munetaka Murakami and Colson Montgomery, who supplied much of the lineup’s additional home run production.
Vargas had always shown an ability to recognize pitches. With more bat speed and better contact quality, he could punish mistakes more frequently without abandoning the patience that helped him reach the majors.
More Than a 30-Homer Season
Vargas also made considerable progress on the bases. His sprint speed increased from 27.5 feet per second in 2025 to 28.6 in 2026, moving him from the 51st percentile to the 82nd percentile according to Statcast.
That represented a return to the speed he had displayed earlier in his career. Vargas also averaged 28.6 feet per second in 2024 before slowing the following season.
After stealing only six bases in 2025, he finished this year with 22 steals in 24 attempts. Statcast credited him with three runs of overall baserunning value.
The improvement fit the White Sox’s emphasis on aggressive baserunning under first-base coach José Leger.
As reported by the Chicago Sun-Times, Leger introduced a competition rewarding players for advancing extra bases and making smart decisions on the bases.