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Editor’s Note: Jerry Beach is live at the 2026 All-Star Game, providing on-the-ground coverage for Lindy’s Sports.
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The ability to stream any game at any time (well, most of the time) is great for baseball fans, but it has taken away some of the aura that once surrounded the All-Star Game.
Back in the day, the Midsummer Classic used to be the lone opportunity all season to see faraway and largely anonymous players – often serving as their team’s lone rep – you only recognized from baseball cards and the occasional blurb in The Sporting News.
Shoutout to ‘80s one-time All-Stars such as Bill Caudill, Rafael Ramirez, Glenn Wilson and Ken Schrom. I’ll stop here because I could go on and on.
And shoutout to Chicago White Sox outfielder Tristan Peters, who is probably the closest thing in tonight’s game to an old-school faraway and largely anonymous player getting a chance to play on the All-Star stage.
Peters was a lot less anonymous before last Friday, when he became just the seventh player in franchise history to hit for the cycle. The next day, he was named to the AL All-Star team as a replacement for injured Athletics first baseman Nick Kurtz.
The two-day sequence continued a surreal 2026 for Peters, who…well, let’s hear it directly from him.
“This year, kind of (this) season’s been full of surprises, honestly,” Peters told me at his interview station. “I had a baby.”
Then, with a laugh, Peters added, “Not a surprise.
“Had a baby in the middle of spring training. Wasn’t sure if I was going to make the team out of spring training. Made the team, I’m like, wow, getting my first hit and all this stuff, it’s cool to see. It’s been a whirlwind.”
The whirlwind is nothing new for Peters, who grew up in Manitoba, played collegiately at Southern Illinois, and spent one summer playing for the Savannah Bananas in the Coastal Plains League shortly before the Bananas went all-in on Banana Ball.
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Peters was selected by the Milwaukee Brewers in the seventh round of the 2021 draft but has been traded four times. He made his major league debut last season with the Tampa Bay Rays and went hitless in 12 at-bats before the White Sox, fresh off consecutive 100-loss seasons, acquired him for cash in December.
“There’s obviously been times I struggled,” Peters said. “I know when I got traded to the Giants (by the Brewers in 2022), I really had a tough time adjusting to the Double-A level. And the imposter syndrome too – being on a new team, not knowing anybody. And that still happens. I’m still getting to know a lot more people, which helps.
“But when I first got to the big leagues with the Rays, I went 0-for-12. Obviously, that was tough. Can I actually do this? But I had to keep that belief in myself.”
And now Peters is a symbol of the surprising White Sox, who entered the All-Star Break tied for first place in the AL Central with the Cleveland Guardians and a 76 percent chance to make the playoffs, per Baseball-Reference.
Peters, one of three White Sox All-Stars along with Miguel Vargas and Japanese rookie sensation Munetaka Murakami, is hitting .301 with six homers, 36 RBIs and an .832 OPS while ranking in the AL’s top 10 in both double and triples.
He doesn’t have enough plate appearances to qualify for the batting title but is one of just 13 batters in the bigs hitting .300 in at least 250 plate appearances. In addition, Peters has accounted for 0.8 defensive WAR while playing all three outfield positions.
And tonight, he’ll be in the American League dugout at Citizens Bank Park instead of at an Airbnb with his wife, child and their pets.
“I think I’ve said if I just get a long leash, I believe that I can adjust to this,” Peters said. “I think I’ve proven that. And obviously the game doesn’t stop coming, so I’ve got to keep playing.”
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This story was originally published July 14, 2026 at 7:12 AM.