The Chicago White Sox kicked off the 2026 Major League Baseball Draft on Saturday in Philadelphia by choosing UCLA shortstop Roch Cholowsky as the first overall selection.
Cholowsky, who celebrated his 21st birthday in April, has drawn comparisons to some of the best shortstop prospects in recent memory. Draft analysts consider him the finest college shortstop prospect since Troy Tulowitzki was drafted in 2005, and he becomes the first college shortstop taken with the top pick since Dansby Swanson in 2015.
The UCLA standout was widely expected to land at the top of the board heading into draft day. Texas high school shortstop Grady Emerson and Georgia Tech catcher Vahn Lackey were also considered among the elite available talent. The Tampa Bay Rays held the second pick and the Minnesota Twins the third.
For Chicago, this marks the first time the franchise has held the top pick since 1977, when they selected prep outfielder Harold Baines, who was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2019. The White Sox previously picked first overall in 1971 when they chose high school catcher Danny Goodwin, though they were unable to sign him.
Over three seasons and 178 games with the Bruins, Cholowsky posted a .329/.448/.624 slash line and hit 52 home runs. USA Baseball ranked him second among NCAA Division I shortstops in wins above replacement and defensive runs saved this past season, and named him a finalist for the Golden Spikes Award, which honors the nation’s top amateur player.
Cholowsky earned Big Ten Player of the Year honors twice — a feat only three players in history have achieved — and contributed to UCLA capturing a share of the last two conference titles. While his overall production remained strong as a junior, some analysts lowered their evaluations after he failed to stand out at the NCAA tournament, with the top-ranked Bruins falling short of the Men’s College World Series.
Analysts broadly project Cholowsky as at least a dependable major leaguer who can contribute on both offense and defense at a premium position. However, some scouts wonder whether his ceiling is as high as that of Emerson, the 18-year-old from Fort Worth Christian High School. Neither shortstop is projected to have the kind of impact that Kansas City Royals star Bobby Witt has made. Some analysts actually rated Lackey as the top player in the entire draft class, though concerns about his limited baseball experience and the physical demands of catching tempered his standing.
Standing 6-foot-2 and weighing 202 pounds, Cholowsky bats right-handed and reportedly could have accepted a college football scholarship to play quarterback at Notre Dame. He has acknowledged that he personally prefers football, but recognized that pursuing baseball exclusively offered him the best path to professional success.
Had Cholowsky entered the draft straight out of high school three years ago, he was projected as a top-50 pick. Baseball runs in his family — his father, Dan Cholowsky, was himself selected in the first round, 39th overall, by the St. Louis Cardinals in 1991. The elder Cholowsky spent eight professional seasons with four organizations, including 285 games at the Triple-A level, before transitioning into a career as an MLB scout.
Chicago has spent recent years rebuilding but has emerged as a surprise contender in the American League Central. Shortstop Colson Montgomery has grown into one of the better players at the position in a league filled with elite shortstop talent.
The White Sox also boast a loaded farm system with additional shortstop depth, including prospects Caleb Bonemer and Billy Carlson. One advantage of drafting a shortstop is the positional flexibility it provides — if Cholowsky is ready for the big leagues down the road, Montgomery and others could shift to different spots on the field.
