Former Tri-City ValleyCats pitcher dies at 29 years old

Former Tri-City ValleyCats pitcher Jhon Vargas died suddenly, his Puerto Rican team announced Friday morning. He was 29.

No cause of death was given.

"Today baseball is in mourning," Proceres de Barranquitas, which plays in Beisbol Superior Doble A, said in a team statement. "Beyond the talented player who defended our colors with dedication and pride, we have a special human being, supportive partner and loyal friend on and off the field."

The team's scheduled game on Friday was postponed.

The ValleyCats traded for Vargas from the Evansville Otters during the 2023 season. He pitched the rest of that year and 2024 for Tri-City of the independent Frontier League.  

He went 15-10 for the ValleyCats over 36 games, including 33 starts.

"He certainly cared deeply about the places he played, and probably even more so in Tri-City," ValleyCats manager Greg Tagert said Saturday. "Just like many of the players I've seen first hand the past couple of years, they really adopt this franchise and this community and the fan base. I saw some of the social-media (reaction) yesterday and last night, and the one thing that stands out, you could tell Jhon interacted with the fans in such a positive manner."

Vargas, born in the Dominican Republic, helped the ValleyCats reach the Frontier League playoffs for the first time in 2024. He probably would have started that year's wildcard playoff loss to the Ottawa Titans, but Vargas was struck in the head with a line drive in a late-season game against Sussex County and was sidelined by concussion protocols.

He moved on to pitch last year for the Lincoln Saltdogs of the American Association.

"The ValleyCats family is heartbroken over the passing of Jhon Vargas," Tri-City announced. "The organization extends its sympathies to his family, friends, teammates, & fans."

Vargas pitched in college at MidAmerica Nazarene, a NAIA school in Olathe, Kan.

Tagert noted Vargas was about the same age as his four adult children.

"Just tragic," Tagert said. 

This article originally published at Former Tri-City ValleyCats pitcher dies at 29 years old.