White Sox select UCLA shortstop Roch Cholowsky with first pick in MLB Draft

White Sox select UCLA shortstop Roch Cholowsky with first pick in MLB Draft

The Chicago White Sox selected UCLA shortstop Roch Cholowsky with the No. 1 overall pick of the 2026 MLB Draft on Saturday. The selection, which took place at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia, was widely expected after reports indicated Cholowsky had been rumored as the team's pick for a long time.

Cholowsky, 21, arrives in Chicago as a consensus first-team All-American and was ranked by MLB Pipeline as the second-best prospect in the 2026 class. He is the third No. 1 pick in the history of the White Sox franchise, following Harold Baines in 1977 and Danny Goodwin in 1971.

The shortstop's collegiate career at UCLA was marked by consistent offensive production. Over three seasons from 2024 to 2026, Cholowsky played 178 games, recording 52 home runs, 167 RBIs, 41 doubles, and 191 runs with a 1.072 OPS. During his junior year, he slashed .320/.452/.636 with 21 home runs, 60 RBIs, and a 1.088 OPS across 60 games. These performances earned him the distinction of being the third player to ever be named the Big Ten Player of the Year in back-to-back seasons, winning the award in 2025 and 2026.

"Drafting Roch today adds another standout talent and person of impressive character to this organization at absolutely the right time,"

Chris Getz, general manager, via sports.yahoo.com

Getz noted that Cholowsky's support structure and family impressed the organization throughout the process. Mike Shirley, the Sox director of amateur scouting, highlighted the player's mental fortitude, stating that the team was equally impressed by the "maturity and poise" Cholowsky displayed while playing under intense scrutiny as the top prospect in college baseball.

The announcement drew celebrations in two cities. Fans watching the video board at Rate Field in Chicago cheered before a game against the Athletics, while a small group of supporters in Philadelphia celebrated by twirling MLB-issued towels as Commissioner Rob Manfred announced the pick.

The White Sox continued their draft activity by adding a prospect with a deep connection to the franchise's history. After acquiring the No. 34 pick from the Pittsburgh Pirates, the team selected Landon Thome, an 18-year-old infielder from Nazareth Academy in La Grange Park, Illinois.

Landon is the son of Hall of Famer Jim Thome, who spent four seasons with the White Sox. A left-handed hitter with power, the younger Thome is viewed as a project who will spend significant time in the Chicago farm system. His father’s legacy includes 612 career home runs, 1,699 RBIs, and a .956 OPS over a 22-year career, including 12.1 bWAR earned during his tenure in Chicago.

While the White Sox focused on the UCLA shortstop and the Thome legacy, other teams filled their rosters during the early rounds. The Tampa Bay Rays took high school shortstop Grady Emerson at No. 2, and Minnesota selected Georgia Tech catcher Vahn Lackey at No. 3. Later in the draft, the Cincinnati Reds took Alabama shortstop Justin Lebron and Virginia's Eric Becker at pick No. 58, while the Detroit Tigers used the No. 22 pick on Coastal Carolina pitcher Cameron Flukey.