In partnership with

Ahoy!

Tonight marks the start of the most difficult stretch of the 2026 White Sox schedule, at least on paper. They're in Philadelphia for three against the Phillies, then return to Chicago for six games against the MLB's two best teams with the Braves and Dodgers, before traveling to New York for three games at Yankee Stadium.

At least they have a few things going for them:

Also, even if the next 12 games turn out to be brutal, at least they built something of a cushion with the way they played in May. The White Sox went 18-10 in their first winning month in three years. It also put them squarely in the hunt for an American League wild card berth, which has Chris Getz finally expressing real ambitions for 2026, rather than being circumspect about it all and leaning heavily on a distant form of sustainable success.

Before we get to those stories, make sure to take a few minutes out of your day to learn about what helped Miguel Vargas turn into Miguel Vargas. James brings firsthand input on everything Vargas has gone through as a hitter since the White Sox traded for him in 2024, including some notes from a Dodger teammate that he was able to talk to in Minneapolis thanks to the support of our subscribers.

If you don't yet support Sox Machine, the Winning Record Sale is still going strong. The Sox have won 53 percent of their games, so you can try Sox Machine for 53 cents. We'll make it worth your while, even after the introductory period.

— Jim

By JAMES FEGAN

MINNEAPOLIS -- It was only 22 months ago that Miguel Vargas was traded over to the historically bad 2024 White Sox. As strange as it sounds, a veteran Dodgers clubhouse that respected the talent of the quiet, but determined young hitter thought it was exactly what he needed.

"We all said the same thing: It's good for him to get the opportunity, he's a great player, he's gonna be somebody," said former Dodgers teammate Anthony Banda. "We're not owed anything in the game, and I think he knows that."

But the initial look of Vargas in a White Sox uniform better resembled a young player in shell shock than someone enjoying newfound runway. He hit an unthinkable .104/.217/.170 immediately after the trade for a Sox team that went 14-41 after his arrival, which didn't provide many windows for his personality to shine through.

"2024 was a tough year for everybody, but I just felt like that was a lot of change in his life," said Davis Martin, one of precious few teammates who was around back then. "He was just kind of more reserved, had to get his bearings."

"His world was flipped upside down," said third base coach Justin Jirschele.

After losing nearly 15 pounds of weight over the course of that personally chaotic season, Vargas was tasked with transforming his body over the offseason. He complied, but was off to another miserable start and hitting .139/.236/.203 on April 23, 2025 when hitting director Ryan Fuller and assistant hitting coach Joel McKeithan sat him down in Target Field and discussed another large-scale adjustment.

"The way he was loading his body made him very susceptible to any fastball that wasn't middle or down," said Fuller. "Everything loaded away from his midline. So, his hands would raise over his back shoulder, and he would just stand tall out of it, so when he would go to turn, the barrel would then drop then underneath, because he wasn't tight and connected. All we were trying to do is get his barrel and body to load more together, so when he did enter the zone, he was able to cover top of the zone, and then be able to make adjustments to breaking balls down."

It sounds logical enough, and now that he's sitting .242/.368/.502 on the year, after playing through visible fatigue and soreness to collect an RBI single and two walks in Wednesday victory, it's clearly worked out well for a former top-50 prospect who had become overlooked.

But the rub is that the process was more physically difficult, and counter to a lot of the built-in movement inclinations Vargas had. The White Sox wanted Vargas to tighten up his swing load, while still maintaining the fluidity that enabled his bat-to-ball ability. Or as Chris Getz remembered Fuller telling him: "This isn't an easy adjustment."

Howard Ankin, a third-generation Chicago lawyer, was raised in Chicago, attended the University of Illinois, and graduated with a law degree from John Marshall Law School. He founded Ankin Law with his dad in 1997.

Ankin Law was built on a foundation of helping injured workers, and today is the largest filer of workers’s compensation cases in the state.

With over 100 attorneys and staff, Ankin Law has the talent, sophistication, and resources to handle injuries from car, truck, slip and fall cases, to catastrophic injuries and death cases with multiple negligent parties. Ankin Law recently settled a serious injury case for 10MM. 

If you’ve been hurt at work, in your car, or if you or someone you know has suffered a medical mistake, Ankin Law is here to help. Injury law made personal – that’s Ankin Law. Call 312.600.0000 for a free consultation or visit ankinlaw.com

Sox Machine subscribers can look back, then look ahead with these exclusive features:

Keep tabs on the the players the White Sox could select in next month's draft, whether it's the first overall pick or over the course of the 19 other rounds.

You are receiving this newsletter as a registered member of Sox Machine. If you’ve had this email forwarded, consider subscribing to our exclusive coverage of the White Sox and their minor-league affiliates here.