3 White Sox Players Who Deserve More of the Spotlight

The White Sox have become one of the best stories in baseball this season, completing one of the sport’s most dramatic recent turnarounds. After three consecutive 100-loss seasons, the White Sox enter the final week of September at 80-76, just one game behind the Cleveland Guardians in the American League Central. A franchise that entered the season still searching for signs of progress is now playing meaningful baseball with a legitimate opportunity to reach October.

Much of the attention surrounding that turnaround has understandably centered on players such as Munetaka Murakami, Colson Montgomery and Miguel Vargas. They represent a significant part of what the White Sox hope will become their long-term core.

But a run like the White Sox are on is not just about the young stars who are going to be here long term; it features guys that you never would have thought about that contribute to the team.

Here are three players who have each become examples of the unexpected depth that has helped transform the White Sox from a rebuilding club into a postseason contender.

Tristan Peters

No player better represents the unexpected nature of this White Sox season than center fielder Tristan Peters.

The White Sox acquired Peters from the Tampa Bay Rays on December 18 for cash considerations after Tampa Bay designated him for assignment. He entered Spring Training fighting simply to remain on the roster and ultimately earned an Opening Day spot largely because of his speed, versatility and ability to defend center field.

Through September 20, the rookie All-Star is hitting .272/.344/.451 with a .795 OPS, 31 doubles, 12 home runs and eight stolen bases. Those offensive numbers alone represent an enormous development for someone who went 0-for-12 during his brief MLB debut with Tampa Bay in 2025.

But Peters’ value goes well beyond his offensive production. His defense has been one of the strongest parts of his game. Entering September, Peters had accumulated +11 Outs Above Average (OAA), tied for third among all Major League outfielders at the time. That combination of above-average offense and high-end center-field defense has turned what looked like a temporary roster solution into a potential long-term answer at one of baseball’s most valuable positions.

Peters has also produced some of the most memorable individual moments of the White Sox season. On July 10 against the Athletics, he became the seventh player in franchise history to hit for the cycle and just the third player since 1961 to complete a cycle by collecting the final two necessary hits in the same inning. From August 22-26, Peters homered in five consecutive games, tying an MLB rookie record. During that stretch, he recorded at least 10 hits, a home run in all five games, multiple doubles, multiple walks and a stolen base. According to Elias, the only other player in MLB history to accomplish all of that during a five-game stretch was Babe Ruth in 1921.

Peters was later named American League Rookie of the Month after posting a 1.054 OPS in August.

Perhaps the most important part of Peters’ season, though, is what it changes for the organization moving forward. Center field entered the year as a question mark, with Luisangel Acuna originally expected to receive the majority of the playing time out there. Instead, Peters has done enough to make himself part of the conversation for that position beyond 2026.

Finding productive everyday players without spending heavily in free agency or surrendering significant prospect capital is an important part of any successful rebuild. Acquiring Peters for essentially nothing and watching him develop into an All-Star is exactly the type of unexpected win the White Sox needed.

Randal Grichuk

Unlike Peters, Grichuk entered the season with a lengthy Major League track record. The 34-year-old made his MLB debut in 2014 and has spent parts of 13 seasons in the majors. But his path to the White Sox was hardly predictable.

Grichuk opened the season with the New York Yankees but was designated for assignment on April 29 after hitting .194 in 16 games. He elected free agency and signed a one-year, $1.25 million contract with the White Sox on May 4. At the time, the move looked like a relatively minor addition designed to give Chicago another veteran outfielder and right-handed bat against left-handed pitching.

Instead, Grichuk has become much more than a bench bat. In 94 games with Chicago, Grichuk is hitting .299 with a .329 OBP and .589 SLG, good for a .918 OPS. He has added 13 home runs and 19 doubles despite receiving only 214 at-bats. His ability to damage left-handed pitching was the primary reason the White Sox brought him in, and that skill has given manager Will Venable an important matchup weapon. But Grichuk’s overall production has made him useful beyond a narrowly defined platoon role.

Grichuk’s season has created a legitimate case for the White Sox to consider bringing him back in 2027. He does not need to be an everyday outfielder to have value. If the club continues building a younger lineup, having a veteran capable of starting against left-handers, providing power off the bench and covering both corner-outfield positions could remain valuable. The question will ultimately be whether his 2026 production increases his price in free agency, but the White Sox could do much worse than maintaining the role he has filled so effectively this year.

Sean Newcomb

The White Sox signed Newcomb to a one-year deal during the offseason with the idea that he could strengthen a pitching staff that still had plenty of uncertainty. What they ended up getting was one of the most versatile pitchers on the roster.

Through September 20, Newcomb has appeared in 56 games, including six starts, and thrown 85 1/3 innings. He owns a 2.95 ERA with a 1.18 WHIP while holding opponents to a .223 batting average. He has also recorded four saves and 11 holds.

Newcomb has been used in almost every possible role. He has served as an opener, worked multiple innings out of the bullpen, pitched in traditional middle-relief situations, handled high-leverage innings, and even finished games. He has made a significant impact in those high-leverage situations, ranking ninth among all Major League pitchers in Win Probability Added (WPA) and second in Championship Win Probability Added (cWPA).

One statistic in particular helps illustrate how effective Newcomb has been: he has allowed only three home runs across those 85 1/3 innings. That type of run prevention is even more valuable when considering how he has been used. His flexibility has allowed Venable to use him wherever the pitching staff has needed coverage. On days when a starter cannot work deep into a game, Newcomb can provide length. When the White Sox need an opener, he can start. When they need outs later in a close game, he has been trusted there as well.

His numbers have taken a hit recently after a difficult stretch in September, but that should not erase how much stability Newcomb provided for the majority of the season. Bullpens are often remembered for their closers and dominant late-inning arms, but pitchers capable of absorbing innings while moving between roles can be just as important over a 162-game schedule.

More Than Just the Headliners

The White Sox have been filled with stories that have caught the attention of people across baseball. Murakami’s arrival, Montgomery’s development and Vargas’ emergence will understandably remain among the biggest storylines because of what those players could mean for the organization’s future.

But Peters, Grichuk, and Newcomb tell another important part of the story. They are the kinds of contributors that successful teams find throughout a season.

A White Sox team that spent three years struggling simply to win games now enters the final week of September fighting for the AL Central and a place in October. The stars have played a major role in making that possible.

But they haven’t done it alone.

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Featured Image: Chicago White Sox / X