Tristan Peters probably didn’t wake up Friday morning thinking he’d make history. By the time the night was over, the Chicago White Sox rookie had done something no player in MLB history had ever pulled off from the No. 9 spot in the lineup.
Batting ninth against the Athletics, Peters hit for the cycle in a 14-1 blowout. But the way he did it? That’s what made it weird and wonderful.
Peters went 4-for-4 with four RBIs and two runs scored. He doubled in the third inning for Chicago’s first hit of the game. He singled home a run during a four-run fifth. Then things got interesting.
A 410-Foot Bomb and a Reckless Dash to Third
In the seventh inning, Peters launched a two-run homer 410 feet to center field, pushing the lead to 6-1. He came up again later in the same inning — still needing a triple to complete the cycle. On a ground ball down the right-field line, Peters blew past third-base coach Justin Jirschele’s stop sign, rounded second, and slid headfirst into third ahead of the relay. Standing ovation. History made.
He became only the third player since 1961 to get two hits in the same inning while completing a cycle. The other two? Felix Pie in 2009 and Jim Ray Hart in 1970. Peters is also the seventh White Sox player ever to hit for the cycle — the first since Jose Abreu in 2017.
It gets even more specific: Peters is the first rookie in MLB history to hit for the cycle while batting ninth. He’s also just the fifth player ever to do it from the No. 9 spot. The crowd at Guaranteed Rate Field let him hear it.
From Rays Castoff to Sox Standout
Peters made his MLB debut last August with the Tampa Bay Rays before landing with the White Sox. He’s played 89 games this season and now owns a .303/.347/.450 slash line. Not bad for a guy hitting at the bottom of the order.
Sean Burke also deserves a mention here. He improved to 6-4 after allowing one run on four hits over seven innings with nine strikeouts. Since June 18, Burke has given up just six earned runs in 32 innings, with 42 strikeouts and five walks. The White Sox might have something brewing with those two.
Tyler Soderstrom hit his 14th homer of the year for Oakland’s only run. Former White Sox pitcher Aaron Civale took the loss after giving up four runs in 2 1/3 innings.
Peters became the third big leaguer to hit for the cycle this season, joining Pete Crow-Armstrong and Bryce Harper. For a rookie batting ninth, that’s not bad company.
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