It’s a hard thing to try to identify which prospects’ tools will translate to success at the highest level of baseball against the best players in the world, but there’s a whole industry of folks who try to do just that. Over at MLB.com, prospect hound Jonathan Mayo polled MLB executives to find out who they think has the best tools among prospects in the minors.
The first tool Mayo wrote about was the “hit tool,” which basically means “who’s going to hit for a high average?” No Dodgers prospect finished high in their polling, but Miguel Vargas showed up among the “others receiving votes.”
29% — Corbin Carroll, OF, D-backs
23% — Gunnar Henderson, SS/3B, Orioles
9% — Sal Frelick, OF, Brewers
6% — Jackson Chourio, OF, Brewers
6% — Jackson Holliday, SS, Orioles
6% — Termarr Johnson, 2B/SS, Pirates
Also received votes: Jacob Berry, 3B/OF, Marlins; Pete Crow-Armstrong, OF, Cubs; Edouard Julien, 2B, Twins; Marcelo Mayer, SS, Red Sox; Jackson Merrill, SS, Padres; Miguel Vargas, 3B/OF, Dodgers; Jordan Walker, OF, Cardinals
There are eight players listed among the others, with 21% of the voting left, so Vargas probably got about two percent of the vote. But that still puts him among the top 14 prospects in baseball for hit tool, which is impressive.
Also this week, Baseball America listed Vargas as their Dodgers prospect with the best hit tool, which lines up with this poll.
Vargas batted .304/.404/.511 as a 22-year-old with Oklahoma City in 2022 and was voted the Best MLB Prospect in the Triple-A Pacific League. He was a top-40 prospect before the 2022 season according to Baseball Prospectus and Baseball America, and he had moved up to number 22 on BP’s list by midseason. L.A. manager Dave Roberts has all but guaranteed Vargas will get regular playing time for the team this year, so we should get to see that hit tool in action.
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