Former Dodgers Top Prospect Confident in Position Change to Outfield Moving Forward
It's been a tough start for Los Angeles Dodgers' former top prospect, Miguel Vargas. Vargas was considered L.A.'s top prospect due to the hitting prowess that he displayed across all minor league levels, but he wasn't able to make a smooth transition to the MLB level in 2023.
Injuries didn't help his cause, but Vargas is now fully healthy entering 2024. Only problem: he's learning a new position for the second straight spring.
Although a corner infield spot is Vargas' primary position, there won't be any room to play there with Max Muncy manning the third base spot and Freddie Freeman at first base. Additionally, the position Vargas learned last year, second base, is now being manned my Mookie Betts.
So, if Vargas wants to earn a spot with the Dodgers in 2024, it'll need to come in the outfield.
Vargas has been working in the outfield all offseason long, and recently told Dodgers Nation's Doug McKain that he feels confident in a position change to the outfield moving forward.
"Yeah, I'm feeling great. I feel a lot of confidence out there. I worked a lot with Clayton [McCullough] in the offseason."
The Dodgers' outfield is a bit more flexible, especially with the recent trade of Manuel Margot.
The recently-signed Kiké Hernández will still factor into the outfield, but he can also play in the infield, unlike Margot.
If Vargas can make the smooth transition to the outfield, and his bat lives up to the hype, he could make an impact on this Dodgers roster in 2024. At this point, he appears to be the 27th man on the roster — also known as the first guy up in the event of an injury.
The 24-year-old was the No. 5 prospect for Los Angeles in 2022. If his bat can translate to the big league and he plays solid defense, the Dodgers will have a great young player on their hands for the foreseeable future.
