Former Charger Becomes World Series Champion

Former Cypress College pitcher Jason Vargas is a World Series Champion after the Kansas City Royals defeated the New York Mets 7-2 in a 12 inning thriller last night. Vargas compiled a 5-2 record with a 3.98 ERA for the Royals this past season.

Jason Matthew Vargas was born in Apple Valley, California and began his college career at Louisiana State University in 2002 before transferring to Cypress College. As a Charger, Vargas pitched to an 11-3 record with a 3.10 ERA and 101 strikeouts. Vargas was the recipient of the 2003 Southern California Player of the Year Award and led the Chargers to their fourth State Championship title. He batted .414 with 7 RBI and pitched to a 2-1 record while hurling 21 strikeouts in 19 innings during the Chargers State Tournament run. His impactful performance earned him Co-MVP of 2003 State Championship tournament. Vargas would move on to play for Long Beach State the following season.

Jason Vargas was drafted by the then-Florida Marlins in 2004 (2nd Round, 68th overall) and made his Major League debut on July 14, 2005. He went on to pitch for the New York Mets, Seattle Mariners, and the Los Angeles Angels before landing with the Royals in 2014. He currently holds a career record of 67-70 with a 4.20 ERA.

Vargas is a member of the Chargers Hall of Fame and is one of our 18 alumni to make it to the MLB. The Chargers Athletics staff congratulates him on his contributions to the Royals organization and wishes him more success in the coming season.