Chicago White Sox infielder Miguel Vargas is on track for a career year in 2026. Through his first 79 games, he is batting .246 with 18 home runs and 50 runs batted in.

These numbers are 10 RBIs short of surpassing his 2025 statistics. In 2025, he hit .234 with 16 home runs and 60 RBIs in 138 games.

The statistical improvement is related to his adding an extra element to his swing. In 2025, when Vargas brought his back into the strike zone, his eyes would begin to stare at the ground.

His eyes would remain fixed on the ground until he made contact with the baseball. This type of hitting approach creates a situation in which he would routinely end up underneath the baseball.

Vargas showcased this hitting approach on June 21, 2025, versus the Toronto Blue Jays. He was facing Jose Berríos at the top of the sixth inning with a count of three balls and two strikes.

As Jose Berríos was getting ready to throw a four-seam fastball for the final pitch of the plate appearance, Miguel stood in the batter’s box with his knees slightly bent and his bat slightly off his shoulders, pointing toward the sky. 

When Berríos separated the baseball from his glove, he started his leg kick. Miguel Vargas would raise his left leg until it was above his right knee. Once he concluded this process, Berríos was ready to release the baseball.

Consequently, Miguel began to lower his legs. By the time his left leg hit the ground, the baseball was about a foot away from home plate. Consequently, he began to drop his right shoulder and open up his lips to bring the bat into the zone.  During this process, his eyes stared at the ground and remained there until he made contact with the baseball.

Miguel ended up underneath the baseball, resulting in a fly ball toward right field that was headed toward foul territory. However, the baseball caught the foul line, resulting in an extra-base hit for Vargas.

These types of examples contributed to Miguel ranking toward the top of the leaderboard in Underneath Contact. Over his first 79 games of 2025, Miguel was underneath the baseball 93 times, 3rd-most in the league.

Miguel has added an extra component to his swing in 2026 to reduce the amount of time he’s under the baseball. Over the first 79 games of 2026, Miguel starts his plate appearances with his legs straight and his bat lying horizontally across his right shoulder. 

Once the opposing pitcher separates the baseball  from his glove, he re-incorporates his swing elements from 2025. The new swing element has helped him keep his eyes raised as he makes contact. 

Consequently, the amount of time he is underneath the baseball has decreased. He has been underneath the baseball 71 times in 2026, 21st most in the league.

Furthermore, the new element, which has helped him keep his head up higher, has led to more barrels. Over the first 79 games of 2025, he had 23 total barrels, 63rd most in the league. He has 34 total barrels over the first 79 games of 2026, ninth most in the league.

The combination of these factors has led him to hit the baseball farther in 2026. Over the first 79 games, his average home run distance has been 389 ft, 7 ft longer than in 2025.