These Lesser-Known Rookies Are Propelling the White Sox

The Chicago White Sox have been one of baseball’s most inspiring stories in 2026. Two years after losing a record-setting 121 games, the Sox sit at 45-40, owning the third-best record in the American League and the best in the Central.

There have been numerous factors influencing this unexpected renaissance on Chicago’s South Side: the emergence of guys like Davis Martin and Miguel Vargas, continued contributions from Colson Montgomery and the back end of the bullpen, and maybe a blessing from the Pope. But two of the team’s most impactful bats were seen as non-factors at the start of the season.

Utility man Sam Antonacci and outfielder Tristan Peters began the year hoping to make any impact they could. Neither secured a spot in Chicago’s Opening Day lineup, and Antonacci made his season debut with the Triple-A Charlotte Knights.

But the two have hit their way into the everyday lineup for the surging White Sox. Antonacci and Peters have combined for 512 plate appearances and in that time are slashing .291/.370/.432, good for a 127 wRC+ and 3.8 fWAR.

For two guys who had played a combined four career major league games heading into this year, their unexpected breakouts have been essential for putting the White Sox in this position.

Stats updated prior to games on July 2.

Sam Antonacci

The White Sox drafted the Coastal Carolina product in the fifth round of the 2024 MLB Draft. Antonacci ripped his way through the minor leagues, hitting .299 with a .864 OPS in 153 games between five different levels. He also suited up for Team Italy in this year’s World Baseball Classic before making his major league debut on April 15.

Since then, he’s done nothing but hit. Among 156 qualifying hitters this season, he ranks 12th in batting average (.295), just ahead of Freddie Freeman. His .392 OBP places him ninth, just behind Mike Trout. His 135 wRC+ ranks second among all qualified rookies.

Antonacci displays a combination of plate discipline and hitting for contact that isn’t seen in much of the league. With a .300 expected batting average and a 21.5% chase rate, he joins Juan Soto as the only two qualified hitters to rank in the 90th percentile or higher in both metrics.

Unsurprisingly, these results are a byproduct of a low strikeout rate and ideal placement of batted balls. In his rookie year, Antonacci is striking out at just a 14.6% clip. He joins Otto Lopez, Yandy Díaz and Jung Hoo Lee as the only qualified hitters with a K% below 15% and a BABIP above .335. This is due in part to how he hits the ball.

For a guy without an abundance of power who doesn’t pull the ball regularly, Antonacci has kept balls in the air to a minimum. Instead, his groundball rate sits 5% above the major league average, and his line drive rate is 1% above it. 40% of his batted balls have been hit straightaway. These combinations are correlated with his success.

32.1% of total batted balls by Antonacci this year have been groundballs and line drives hit straightaway, tied for the 13th highest rate among the 198 hitters with at least 150 batted balls in 2026. The major league batting average on these batted balls sits at .371. For Antonacci, it’s .417.

Perhaps the most impressive aspect of Antonacci’s breakout has been his ability to turn on high heat. He is hitting .353 and slugging .529 against four-seam fastballs. His .347 average on pitches reaching 95+ mph ranks 11th highest among the 196 hitters with at least 50 plate appearances ending against them.

For these reasons, Antonacci has come out hot out of the gates for the White Sox and has earned an everyday spot at the top of the lineup.

Tristan Peters

After being traded from the Tampa Bay Rays to Chicago for cash considerations and a player to be named later, Peters has become an unexpected force in the Rate Field outfield. The 26-year-old lefty bat is hitting .286 with a .780 OPS in his 245 plate appearances.

Peter’s offensive profile is opposite to Antonacci’s. He lacks plate discipline and doesn’t hit the ball hard; what he does do is hit it to the pull side. 50.6% of total batted balls off the bat of Peters have been pulled, making him one of 23 qualified hitters to pull at least half of their batted balls. His 25.8% pulled air rate also ranks 37th among all qualifiers.

Out of Peters’ 43 fly balls this year, 18 of them, making up 41.9%, have been pulled. It’s close to 10% higher than the major league average for pull rate on fly balls.

Why does this matter? Because fly balls hit to the pull side are 30% more likely to result in home runs compared to fly balls hit straightaway or to the opposite field. His ability to pull as many balls in the air as possible has helped him develop power despite a hard hit rate below 30%.

Although Peters is a free swinger, it has paid some dividends for him this year. His 77.7% in-zone swing rate is the sixth highest among the 217 hitters to see at least 400 pitches in the strike zone. Against these pitches, he’s hitting .327 and slugging .510.

But Peters’ biggest strength comes from his work in center field. In each year since 2021, the White Sox have ranked in the bottom half of the league in Outs Above Average from their outfielders. In 2026, they’re just hanging in there in the 15th spot. Peters can be thanked for the White Sox’s best defensive outfield in several years.

Peters has tallied eight OAA so far this year, the fifth most of any major league outfielder. With half a season still to play, it’s already the fifth most OAA by any White Sox outfielder since tracking began in 2016, and the most since Luis Robert in 2023.

Peters has converted on 94% of potential plays this year, tied for the sixth highest among all major league qualifiers. This includes cashing in on 33.3% of plays with a catch probability below 25%, and going 40/40 on plays with a catch probability above 50%. This dynamic playstyle has played a key role in keeping the White Sox in contention in a weak AL.