The Vargas Jewel

Miguel Vargas (CHW): 3-5, 2B, 2 HR, 2 R, 4 RBI.

Be honest. You didn’t want Miguel Vargas on your fantasy roster this draft season, did you? Did YOU?! No, didn’t think so. And why would you? Last year, he hit .234 with 16 home runs and six stolen bases. He was, more or less, the definition of league average with a 101 wRC+.

After watching his second home run last night, which came on an 0-2 cutter from righty reliever Travis Adams, I have come to realize what the Dodgers saw in him; this guy can hit! The 26-year-old righty owns a spicy .241/ .366/ .509 slash. The last piece is telling. Vargas has always had a discerning eye, and this season has been no different, with his walk rate in the 93rd percentile. But his power has lagged.

Now, though, his 14.5% barrel rate has us singing a different tune. Sure enough, his 120 Power via PLV looks awfully good; that number was 97 last season. Maybe he altered his swing? It’s hard to say. But the results are clear as day, and his 136 Process underscores that you ought to be pretty excited to have him on your roster. This guy leads all third basemen with 15 home runs, which is one fewer than he hit all of last year, and his .875 OPS is second behind Caminero’s .893. Oh, and I almost forgot: he also has nine steals!

Let’s see how the other hitters did Monday:

Dillon Dingler (DET): 4-5, 2B, 2 HR, 4 R, 4 RBI.

Here’s your line of the night. And, yikes, hopefully you didn’t start Griffin Jax. Dingler’s first dinger came on an 0-2 sweeper that hovered hopelessly over the heart of the plate like a fly waiting for the windshield on the freeway (428 feet, 105.o EV). Carpenter and Greene followed suit. Dingler’s second home run victimized a cutter from Dylan Martin (414 feet, 104.3 EV). The 27-year-old righty’s 13 home runs trail only Langeliers in the backstop leaderboard. And his PLV metrics, including a 129 Power and 132 Process, are awesome, too.

JJ Bleday (CIN): 1-4, HR, R, RBI, BB.

Bleday’s 10th put the Reds on the board in the bottom of the first; it wasn’t a moonshot at 380 feet. Still, Bleday has been a revelation for the Reds, slashing .301/ .398/ .655. His best power output came three years ago, when he belted 20 in 642 PAs with the A’s; he’s halfway there in just 133 PAs. Not bad. The 28-year-old lefty’s batted-ball metrics are, not surprisingly, the same hue as the lettering on his uniform. And his 141 Process suggests he is not a flash in the pan.

Jac Caglianone (KCR): 2-4, HR, 2 R, 2 RBI, BB.

This one was fun. Cags’ two-run tater landed in the Reds bullpen just to the left of straightaway center, and it came against left-hander Brandon Leibrandt (418 feet, 108.1 EV). The big breakout hasn’t happened, though, with his OPS sitting at .711. His 95th percentile bat speed has been mitigated, partly by a low launch angle. He is also striking out at a 30% clip, which seems out-of-whack relative to his prospect profile. His potential remains off-the-charts, but it’s starting to feel, to me at least, like he might need another offseason to recalibrate.

Andrew Vaughn (MIL): 2-4, 2 RBI.

It’s not often you see a team score 16 runs without a ball leaving the yard, but that’s what happened last night at American Family Field, thanks to a meltdown from Landen Roupp. Meanwhile, Vaughn has started well since returning from the IL (hamate), slashing .354/ .425/ .508 across 73 PAs. Vaughn’s playing time isn’t completely locked in at the moment, but his 11.6% K rate and 22.6% chase rate have captured my attention. Last year’s breakthrough feels very real.

Marcus Semien (NYM): 1-3, HR, R, RBI.

Semien broke a 1-1 tie in the sixth by taking Hancock for a ride to Edgar’s porch in left (388 feet, 103.2 EV). That’s six home runs for the 25-year-old and a not-so-hot .630 OPS. However, if you’re stuck with him as an MI in a 15-teamer, you can at least hang your hat on the fact that he is making good swing decisions (119 DV) with average-ish power (98). That is to say, I wouldn’t be stunned in the least bit if better results came his way. But, boy, hitting eighth for the Mets is not a fun place for fantasy. Can we start a petition to have him hit higher in the lineup?

Jake McCarthy (COL): 2-4, HR, 2 R, RBI, 2 BB.

Uh-oh. Did you think you’d never have to worry about Jake the former Snake again? Not so fast! The Rockies have other plans. After last night’s home run off Soriano, the 28-year-old lefty is slashing .283/ .327/ .462 through 162 PAs. He has hit leadoff in eight of the Rockies’ last ten. We know he isn’t much of a hitter (97 wRC+), but he can and will run wild. He’s back on the streaming radar with the Rockies on a six-game homestand starting this Friday.

Sam Antonacci (CHW): 2-5, 2B, 2 R.

Antonacci has been a pretty decent table-setter, slashing .277/ .368/ .369 with eight steals and a 15.4% K rate across 169 PAs. He doesn’t have any over-the-fence power based on his minor league track record. However, his 115 Process lends credence to his solid start. And he stole 48 bases in the minors last year, so there’s that.

Nolan Arenado (ARI): 1-3, HR, R, RBI.

Arenado broke a 1-1 tie in the seventh by parking a slider from Sheehan just over the wall in left (389 feet, 98.4 feet). It seemed like he was at the end of the line last season with a career-low .237 batting average and an 84 wRC+. Now, though, he’s hitting .269 with a 125 wRC+. I think it’s safe to say no one is excited to have him on their fantasy roster, but the old guy is firmly back on the radar as Arizona’s cleanup hitter.

Matt Chapman (SFG): 1-2, HR, R, 2 RBI, BB.

Jackson Chourio just missed robbing Chapman of his second home run, which gave the Giants a fleeting 2-0 lead in the second. Part of the Giants’ offensive woes has been the sudden downturn of their third baseman; he’s hitting his usual .232, but has brought no thump to speak of. And his 80 Power via PLV doesn’t indicate a recovery any time soon. Nope, I’m not feeling a buy-low situation here.

Colt Emerson (SEA): 1-3, HR, R, RBI.

The 20-year-old rookie did his damage on a hanging sweeper from Manaea that broke a scoreless tie in the third. He’s holding his own, slashing .250/ .340 / .568 over 50 PAs. His 27.7% K rate just about matches what we saw from him in Triple-A Tacoma. At the risk of looking like an idiot, it wouldn’t be the first nor last time, Emerson is probably just a dynasty play at the moment. In a year? Yes, sure, we could be talking. But in the meantime, let’s see him percolate a little.

Featured image by Aaron Polcare (@abeardoesart on Bluesky and X) and adapted by Justin Paradis (@JustParaDesigns on Twitter/X; @justinparadis.bsky.social on BlueSky)