These five players have gone cold at the worst possible time as the Chicago White Sox enter a defining stretch before the MLB trade deadline.
As a team, the Chicago White Sox are 5-5 since the All-Star break. They followed up a successful 4-2 road trip with a rough start to their homestand, dropping a series to the Houston Astros before blowing an early lead against the New York Yankees on Monday night in the first game of a four-game set.
Chicago will play six more games without an off day before the MLB trade deadline. The White Sox have three more against the Yankees before traveling to Tampa Bay for three games against the AL-best Rays. That could prove to be a defining stretch when we look back on the 2026 season.
It has never been more important for the White Sox to pull away in the AL Central and create some separation between themselves and the other wannabe contenders in the division. But in order to do that, Chicago will need better production from a handful of players who have really struggled since the All-Star break.
Some of these players have been essential to the team's overall success but have gone cold since returning from the break. Others have been detrimental all season and would ideally be replaced at the upcoming deadline.
Here is a look at five White Sox players who have struggled since the Midsummer Classic.
Tristan Peters
Outfielder Tristan Peters made the AL All-Star team with a .301 batting average and an .832 OPS at the break. His production was unexpected for Chicago, but it has been a welcome sight that fueled the team's success throughout the first half of the season.
Since the All-Star break, however, Peters has gone really cold at the plate. He is just 4-for-32 across 10 games, good for a .125 batting average and a .372 OPS. He has recorded only one extra-base hit and one RBI despite receiving regular playing time in all 10 games.
It might be unfair to hold Peters to the All-Star standard he set for himself during the first half of the season, but the White Sox definitely need him to return to form, or close to it, over the final two months of the regular season.
The catching position is already a black hole for the White Sox when they lay out their starting lineup. So with Peters playing like this, the bottom of the order does not put up much of a fight. His defense in center field remains a huge positive, but the White Sox need Peters to heat back up soon.
Edgar Quero & Drew Romo
Speaking of the catching position, both Edgar Quero and Drew Romo belong on this list. It is not as if their lack of production is particularly unexpected. From the moment Kyle Teel went down with another injury, it was obvious that Chicago needed to add another catcher at the trade deadline.
So far, however, the White Sox have had no luck getting a deal done, and they have received detrimental play from both catchers. Romo and Quero are a combined 3-for-26 at the plate since the All-Star break, producing a .115 batting average and a .361 OPS. They have also been problematic defensively, making run prevention even more difficult for Chicago's pitching staff.
Chris Getz cannot make a trade soon enough. Hopefully, whoever the White Sox acquire can serve as an everyday catcher and provide something close to average production both offensively and defensively. Even that would represent a massive upgrade and provide a significant lift to Chicago's postseason chances.
Sean Newcomb
For the final two players, we have to look at the bullpen. Two White Sox relievers who were reliable arms during the first half have struggled since coming out of the All-Star break.
Sean Newcomb has a 9.00 ERA in four appearances for the White Sox. That ERA is, of course, inflated by the four earned runs Newcomb allowed against the Yankees on Monday night. Those are the only earned runs charged to him since the All-Star break.
Still, Newcomb also has a 2.73 WHIP, and his appearances have not been without stress. He has allowed at least one hit and one walk in every outing since the break, consistently putting traffic on the bases.
During his first three appearances, Newcomb managed to work his way out of those jams. On Monday night, a home run by Ali Sánchez helped the Yankees blow the game open and inflated Newcomb's numbers.
From the beginning of May through the All-Star break, Newcomb posted a 0.81 WHIP and a 1.77 ERA. The White Sox need that version of him to return if they want their bullpen to be good enough down the stretch of the 2026 season.
Bryan Hudson
Bryan Hudson has also struggled recently. Unlike Newcomb, Hudson opened the second half with two perfect outings. He retired all seven batters he faced and recorded three strikeouts across appearances against the Toronto Blue Jays and Texas Rangers. He earned a hold against Toronto before recording the save in the rubber match against Texas.
Hudson then blew a lead against the Astros on July 24, surrendering four earned runs during an eight-run sixth inning as the White Sox turned an early 5-0 advantage into a 9-5 defeat.
Hudson took the mound again against the Yankees on Monday and allowed two hits and one earned run in an inning of work. That run came in the top of the seventh, breaking a 4-4 tie and saddling Hudson with the loss.
Like Newcomb, Hudson has been an important part of the White Sox bullpen in 2026. Seranthony Domínguez has been such a disappointment, but having Newcomb and Hudson alongside Jordan Hicks and Grant Taylor at the back end of the bullpen has made the unit serviceable for most of the season. The White Sox need both relievers to bounce back if they are going to have a chance down the stretch.
Given how much has gone wrong for the White Sox over the last few weeks, a 5-5 record in the second half is still respectable. But you cannot help but feel like the White Sox are in a precarious position right now.
They have not played good baseball, their pitching staff is beginning to tire, and they are about to face Gerrit Cole and Cam Schlittler before traveling to Tampa Bay to face a Rays team that swept them earlier this season.
Trade deadline acquisitions could provide the White Sox with a much-needed boost. But somebody will need to step up over the next six games to keep Chicago in a good position in the standings. Hopefully, some of these players who have struggled since the All-Star break can bounce back and provide the White Sox with the spark they desperately need.
