The Cuban designated hitter Miguel Vargas wrote a new historic page this Sunday by hitting his 28th home run of the 2026 season, leading the Chicago White Sox to a 7-5 victory over the Detroit Tigers.
According to Pelota Cubana, the hit came in the ninth inning against the right-hander Jacob Waguespack, who threw a fastball at 94.2 mph that the Havana native punished at 98.0 mph, sending the ball 381 feet into left field.
Vargas batted third and played third base, finishing the game with a 4-1 record, including a home run, one run scored, one RBI, one walk, and one strikeout.
It was also his fifth home run so far in August, a month that confirms the extraordinary power surge of the 26-year-old player.
With 28 home runs, Vargas became the third baseman for the White Sox —among those who played at least 60% of their games at third base— to reach that figure in a season of the 21st century.
Before him, only Todd Frazier, with 40 home runs in 2016, and Joe Crede, with 30 in 2006, had achieved it.
In the last century, two emblematic names from the franchise also broke that barrier: Robin Ventura, with 34 home runs in 1996, and Bill Melton, with 33 in 1971.
The 2026 season has represented a huge qualitative leap for Vargas compared to his previous years in Major League Baseball.
In 2025, he played 138 games with Chicago and ended with 16 home runs and 60 runs batted in; this year he has already doubled that home run production with several weeks left in the calendar.
His global numbers at the close of this Sunday reflect an elite campaign: an average of .239, 72 runs batted in, 82 scored, 12 stolen bases, and an OPS of .835.
In July, Vargas was selected to the American League All-Star Game for the first time in his career, becoming the first third baseman for the White Sox to receive this honor since Joe Crede in 2008.
In that same All-Star Game, held in Philadelphia, he hit a 433-foot home run that left his name etched in the memory of the fans.
Vargas's home run progression throughout the season has been steady: he reached 24 home runs by early August, and in less than two weeks, he added four more to reach a total of 28.
The White Sox finished the game with a record of 65-58 for the season, while the Tigers dropped to 60-64.
With still games left in the calendar, Vargas is just two home runs away from reaching 30 in a Major League season for the first time, a milestone that no Cuban infielder has achieved with this franchise.
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