There’s a new spark lighting up the Windy City. While the Chicago White Sox continue to battle through a rocky season, one player is making headlines for all the right reasons. He not only turned heads with his electric performance but also earned the honor of being named the AL Player of the Week—a rare bright spot for the Sox this year. And it’s not just stats fueling his rise, but the legacy of a legend.

Some adjustments in position, and boom! In six games last week, he hit 4 home runs, nine RBIs, and one run with a .417 batting average. And that was enough to earn White Sox third baseman Miguel Vargas the AL Player of the Week title. He just became the first position player to win that honor for the team since Luis Robert Jr. in 2023. And who does he credit for this success? None other than his beloved father.

While speaking to MLB Network, he opened up with a heartfelt tribute .“My dad always was my hero. He played for 22 years, played in the national team. You know, two-time Olympic champion, and, you know, he was my hero, and I just want to follow him.”

Of course, in Cuban baseball, his father’s name is far from unknown—Lazaro Vargas is a legend. “I’m glad and happy to have him on my side,” Miguel Vargas added. And this isn’t the first time he has shared his admiration for his father.

During his time with the Dodgers, before signing with the White Sox, he had opened up about wanting to be a name for his father. “I’m trying to put his name out there and try to show that one day he was good.” Well, he’s definitely doing that, and this AL Player of the Week honor might be another sweet tribute to his dad.

For Vargas, this is turning out to be a great season indeed, but how’s his team holding up?

This season has been nothing short of a disaster for the White Sox. The mood in the clubhouse has definitely shifted, with back-to-back losses piling up.

Sure, winning against the Marines 1-0 on Tuesday was a relief; they broke a five-game losing streak. And meanwhile, they didn’t forget to credit the new Pope Leo XIV for some of these few victories. But seems like that is not helping now, either.

The team sits at the bottom of the AL Central table with a grim record of 15-34. Even Vargas’ stellar week doesn’t seem to have an effect on that. And right in the middle of it all is another $50 million player who was supposed to be the game-changer. Sadly, his performance this season just hasn’t gone the way anyone hoped, and it is only natural for tensions to rise.

Luis Robert Jr. faces harsh reality as trade deadline nears

The last time someone from the White Sox was named AL Player of the Week before Miguel Vargas, it was another Cuban center fielder, Luis Robert Jr., in 2023. But two years later, he’s nowhere on the radar. The force he once was on the field now feels like a distant memory. And the worst part? He’s openly admitting his struggles, just as the trade deadline looms.

“Right now, as my season is going, I don’t think anyone is going to take a chance on me,” he told Scott Merkin of MLB.com earlier this week.

His stats sure reflect the struggle he is going through, and as he fears, that is not attractive for the front offices. In 45 games played this season, he’s slashing .182/.276/.302/.578 with just five home runs and 53 strikeouts. He’s dipped far below even his standards from previous seasons. But with 183 plate appearances, at the very least, he’s stayed healthy. Still, he can’t shake off the tension of the looming trade tensions.

He’s under contract through 2027, with club options through 2029, making him a long-term bet for the White Sox. Let’s be real, no team would be ready to gamble on a struggling star without a quick turnaround. He has no choice but to flip the switch, that too as fast as he can. He went 0-for-3 in Tuesday night’s 1-0 victory over Seattle Marines.

Tbh, this is not the season fans expected from a Gold Glove winner and five-tool phenom. He needs to rebound, break out of the slump, and find his confidence again. That’s the only way forward now.