Jason Vargas facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Jason Vargas |
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Vargas with the Omaha Storm Chasers in 2016
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| Pitcher | |||
| Born: February 2, 1983 Apple Valley, California, U.S. |
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| debut | |||
| July 14, 2005, for the Florida Marlins | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| September 26, 2019, for the Philadelphia Phillies | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Win–loss record | 99–99 | ||
| Earned run average | 4.29 | ||
| Strikeouts | 1,147 | ||
| Teams | |||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||
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Jason Matthew Vargas, born on February 2, 1983, is a former professional baseball pitcher from the United States. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for several teams. These included the Florida Marlins, Seattle Mariners, Los Angeles Angels, Kansas City Royals, New York Mets, and Philadelphia Phillies. The Marlins picked Vargas in the second round of the 2004 MLB draft. He first played in the major leagues in 2005. In 2017, he was chosen as an All-Star. He also led the American League in wins that year.
Early Baseball Days
Jason Vargas was born in Apple Valley, California. He went to Victor Valley High School in Victorville, California. His father was the baseball coach there, and Jason played for him. In 1998, his father retired, and Jason moved to Apple Valley High School. He graduated in 2001.
College Baseball Journey
The Minnesota Twins drafted Jason in 2001, but he decided not to sign with them. Instead, he chose to play college baseball at Louisiana State University (LSU). As a freshman at LSU, he had a 1–1 record with a 3.43 earned run average (ERA) in 13 games. He also sometimes played as a first baseman or designated hitter. In his very first college at-bat, he hit a pinch hit grand slam. This helped his team, the LSU Tigers, win against Mercer.
After the 2002 season, Vargas moved to Cypress College. He wanted to be eligible for the draft again. In 2003, he had a great season. He went 11–3 with a 3.10 ERA and 101 strikeouts. He also hit well, with a .374 batting average. He was named the Southern California junior college player of the year.
Later, Vargas transferred to California State University, Long Beach. He played for the Long Beach State 49ers. There, he improved his pitching technique. This helped him throw his fastball faster and make his curveball break better. In 2004, he had a 7–4 record with a 4.14 ERA. He also continued to hit well, batting .354 with 14 doubles and five home runs.
Professional Baseball Career
Starting with the Florida Marlins
The Florida Marlins drafted Jason Vargas in the second round of the 2004 MLB draft. He was the 68th player chosen overall. He started his professional career with the Jamestown Jammers, a Low-A team. He had a 3–1 record with a 1.96 ERA in eight starts. He was even named a top prospect in his league.
In 2005, Vargas quickly moved up through the Marlins' minor league teams. He started with the Greensboro Grasshoppers, where he had a 4–1 record with a very low 0.80 ERA. He then moved to Jupiter and later to the Double-A Carolina Mudcats. He was doing so well that the Marlins called him up to the major leagues.
Jason made his MLB debut on July 14, 2005. He quickly found success. On August 21, he pitched his first complete game, allowing only one run. He finished the 2005 season with a 5–5 record and a 4.03 ERA. He even received a vote for the Rookie of the Year award.
In 2006, Vargas started in the Marlins' main team but struggled. He was sent to the Triple-A Albuquerque Isotopes. He had a tough year, finishing with a 1–2 record and a 7.33 ERA for the Marlins.
Time with the New York Mets
On November 20, 2006, the Marlins traded Vargas to the New York Mets. He started the 2007 season with the Triple-A New Orleans Zephyrs. He was called up to the Mets on May 13. His first game as a Met was on May 17. He pitched only a few innings for the Mets in 2007.
Vargas had surgery on his left elbow in October 2007. He also had surgery on his left hip in March 2008. Because of these injuries, he missed the entire 2008 season.
Playing for the Seattle Mariners
On December 10, 2008, Vargas was traded to the Seattle Mariners. He spent some time in Triple-A in 2009 but was called back up in September. He finished 2009 with a 3–6 record and a 4.91 ERA for Seattle.
In 2010, Vargas became a regular starter for the Mariners. He had a strong season, throwing 192 innings with a 9–12 record and a 3.78 ERA. He was especially good at limiting left-handed batters.
In 2011, he had 10 wins and 13 losses with a 4.25 ERA. He threw three shutouts, which was third-best in the league. In 2012, the Mariners and Vargas agreed on a one-year contract. In July, he had an excellent month, going 5–0 with a 1.64 ERA. He was named the American League Pitcher of the Month. For the season, he had 14 wins and 11 losses with a 3.85 ERA. He pitched the sixth-most innings in the American League.
Joining the Los Angeles Angels
On December 19, 2012, Vargas was traded to the Los Angeles Angels. In May 2013, he was again named the AL Pitcher of the Month. For the 2013 season, he had a 9–8 record with a 4.02 ERA. He threw two shutouts and three complete games. After the season, he became a free agent.
Time with the Kansas City Royals
On November 21, 2013, Vargas signed a four-year contract with the Kansas City Royals. He was the third starting pitcher for the Royals in 2014. He had a career-best 3.71 ERA and an 11–10 record in 30 starts. He was very good at not walking batters.
In 2015, Vargas had to leave a game early due to an injury to his throwing arm. He was diagnosed with a torn ligament in his left elbow. This meant he needed Tommy John surgery and missed the rest of the 2015 season and much of 2016. For 2015, he had a 5–2 record with a 3.98 ERA. Even though he was injured, he received a World Series ring because the Royals won the World Series in 2015.
On September 17, 2016, he made his first start after recovering from surgery. In 2016, he pitched only 12 innings, and he did not allow any runs.
The 2017 season was Vargas's first full season after his surgery. He started very strong, going 12–3 in the first half of the season. He was chosen for the 2017 Major League Baseball All-Star Game, which was his first All-Star selection. He struggled a bit in the second half but finished strong in September. Vargas ended the season with 18 wins and 11 losses, and a 4.16 ERA. His 18 wins tied for the most in the American League. He also led major league pitchers in how often batters pulled the ball against him. He was good defensively too, with many assists as a pitcher. After the season, he became a free agent.
Return to the Mets
On February 18, 2018, Vargas signed a two-year contract to return to the New York Mets. In March, he broke a bone in his right hand, which made him miss the first month of the season. He was also placed on the disabled list in June with a calf injury. On August 29, he reached a big milestone: he struck out his 1,000th batter. In 2018, he had a 7–9 record with a 5.77 ERA in 20 starts.
In 2019, before he was traded, he had a 6–5 record with a 4.01 ERA for the Mets.
Finishing with the Philadelphia Phillies
On July 29, 2019, the Mets traded Vargas to the Philadelphia Phillies. With the Phillies in 2019, Vargas had 1 win and 4 losses with a 5.37 ERA in 11 starts. He became a free agent after the season on November 4, 2019.
Pitching Style
Jason Vargas threw four main pitches. These included a two-seam and four-seam fastball that was around 85 miles per hour. He also threw a 71 mph curveball and a 79 mph changeup.
Personal Life
Jason Vargas is married to his high school sweetheart, Shelly. They have three children together.
