'It’s been a whirlwind': Peters' 2026 breakout a family affair

This story was excerpted from Scott Merkin’s White Sox Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

CHICAGO – Back in Spring Training, when Tristan Peters wasn’t known by many people outside the White Sox clubhouse or organization, the affable 26-year-old admitted to thinking too much about his immediate future.

But Peters had reason to overthink. His wife, Erin, was expecting their first child, and as a family, they needed some sort of plan as to how they would proceed.

“I told my wife, ‘I think we’ll probably be in Charlotte, so prepare for that,’” Peters told MLB.com during a recent interview, referring to the team’s Triple-A affiliate. “I got the news right at the end of the camp and we were pretty ecstatic.”

That news centered upon Peters breaking with the team, getting the chance to erase his very brief but forgettable 0-for-12 debut with seven strikeouts for the Rays during August of last season. The White Sox have been ecstatic they made this roster call.

The left-handed hitter’s 17 doubles lead the South Siders, who remain a surprising division leader as of June 27. He has a slash line of .289/.351/.453 with four home runs, two triples, four stolen bases and 30 RBIs to go with top-flight defense in center field. He launched career grand slam No. 1 and drove in six during Friday's 22-1 victory over the Royals.

Peters’ first calling card this season was as one of Major League Baseball’s best bunters, a skill he frequently practices. He quickly showed there’s more to his game than being able to lay one down.

“Credit to the player development group and the evaluators in acquiring him,” said hitting coach Derek Shomon of Peters, who was added last Dec. 18 in a trade with the Rays. “They acquired him because there were things in his game that could continue to be developed and ultimately show up in what we are seeing on the field today.

“He’s done a great job being not only coachable and receptive. But it’s scary to make adjustments, especially when you are getting this type of runway in the big leagues.”

As the White Sox's success built up, so did fans’ talk as to who should be going from Chicago to Philadelphia as part of the American League All-Star team. Peters was one of those five or six on that wish list.

On Monday, as he was preparing for the series opener in a first-place battle with their American League Central rival from Cleveland, Erin sent Peters the updated All-Star fan balloting. Peters checked in at No. 19 among the outfielders, with 219,889 votes, putting him three spots behind teammate Sam Antonacci but ahead of Detroit’s Javier Báez.

Ultimately, Peters wasn’t one of the six AL outfielders announced as finalists by MLB Thursday night. He still was thrilled by this level of support.

“We were like, ‘Wow, it’s pretty cool to have over 200,000 votes. 200,000 people have written my name down,” a smiling Peters said. “That’s crazy to think about. I would have never thought about it before this year.

“I’m grateful for the opportunity they have given me. I’m trying to make the most of it every day and enjoy where I’m at. I believed in myself, and I just needed some time to adjust. That’s where I’ve been at in every level.”

This on-field success, contributing to the White Sox’s success as a team, has become a Peters family traveling celebration. Their daughter, Elaine, is 3 1/2 months old, and they join him on almost every road trip.

“She’s really thinking about me and how she wants me not to miss anything about her, like her laughing, sitting up or those little moments,” said Peters of his wife’s thinking on the family travel. “So, yeah, we are trying to be together as much as possible. I want to see it in person.

“It’s been a whirlwind, such a blessing. She’s the best thing ever and seeing my wife be a mom, she’s such a super mom. It’s amazing to be in the big leagues and have that opportunity with our little girl. [Our daughter] is honestly chill. She likes to be outside. That’s the easiest way to get her to sleep during the day. We’ve found a system in the hotels.”

Erin and Tristan were friends for four years, having met through a line and swing dancing group in Arizona. He still can execute the line dancing moves, but has now moved on to hitting big home runs as he did of the three-run variety off Phil Maton in an eventual walk-off victory over the Cubs on May 17.

“This whole year has been the highlight. This team is such a special team, cool people to be around,” Peters said. “But I think the homer off the Cubs, my first Major League homer, that was awesome. Probably my individual highlight.

“There’s more to come. I’m going to try to keep learning, too. There’s a lot to learn in a big league clubhouse.”