Dodgers: Teammates Help Miguel Vargas Get His First MLB Home Run Ball Back
Miguel Vargas was bound to make waves in the major leagues the question was just as to when.
In 2017, the Dodgers signed the then 18-year-old to a minor league contract where he’s developed in the farm system for the past 5 years. After spending the majority of the summer with the Triple-AAA squad, the 22-year-old got his major league debut on August 3rd.
Since then, he’s spent the whole month of September with the Los Angeles team and has made 10 major league appearances (plus two in August). But this most recent one on Saturday night will go down as one of his most memorable moments.
The Home Run
After Will Smith and Trayce Thomspon had homered to give the Dodgers a 2-0 lead over the Cardinals on Saturday night, Miguel Vargas wanted in on the action.
Watch the young prospect hit his first major league home run here:
Miguel Vargas's first MLB homer, a two-run shot, plus dugout celebration. pic.twitter.com/lCu6QPVXrq
— Chad Moriyama (@ChadMoriyama) September 25, 2022
Later in the game, he was even congratulated by one of his favorites who also had quite a monumental homerun just the night before. Talent recognizes talent.
Miguel Vargas said after Albert Pujols singled in the sixth inning, he congratulated Vargas on his first career homer.
'I didn't have words to talk to him. He's an icon for Latin guys. I was just looking at him like, wow, Albert Pujols is at my side.'
— Dodger Insider (@DodgerInsider) September 25, 2022
After the game, the up-and-coming prospect had this to say about the special at bat:
“I wasn’t even looking (at the ball). I was just running the bases and I just heard everyone screaming. I didn’t know what to do…I mean, it was a lot of emotion. I don’t know what I did. I’m just trying to enjoy it and not think about what happened. I’m just trying to enjoy the moment.”
The Ball
After hitting the 390-foot homer in his home stadium the hunt to get the special ball back was on. Especially after the lucky fan who caught it had quite the reaction:
Kid who got Miguel Vargas' home run ball:
"LET'S F'N GOOO!!!" #Dodgers
— Doug McKain (@DMAC_LA) September 25, 2022
But in due fashion, Vargas’ teammates (Julio Urias, Cody Bellinger, and Mookie Betts) put together a pretty sweet exchange to give the fan a fair trade:
The Vargas home run ball was exchanged for three autographed balls. pic.twitter.com/QHJVmAvXjR
— Ray Vasquez (@ThatFunkyMuncy) September 25, 2022
After the teams returned to the locker room, Vargas said he would be giving the ball to his mom joking that she would probably keep it in a safer spot than he would.
Congrats Miggy on the first of many more to come!
