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The Chicago White Sox selected UCLA star shortstop Roch Cholowsky with the No. 1 pick in the 2026 MLB Draft on Saturday.
Cholowsky enters the White Sox system after leading the Bruins to the nation's top seed this past NCAA season.
"I've never heard anything negative about him."@ChuckGarfien & @OzzieGuillen react to the White Sox selecting Roch Cholowsky at No. 1 overall https://t.co/vtYNhUZWqX pic.twitter.com/NaO08rM33L
— White Sox on CHSN (@CHSN_WhiteSox) July 11, 2026
The 21-year-old won consecutive Big Ten Player of the Year awards (2025, 2026), Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year (2025), and was a finalist for the 2026 Golden Spikes Award, which is given out annually to the top amateur baseball player in the United States.
Cholowsky slashed .320/.452/.636 with 21 homers and 60 RBIs over 60 games during the 2026 campaign. Defensively, he accumulated 15.3 DRS this year after posting an NCAA-leading 20.15 DRS in 2025.
The White Sox add Cholowsky to their prospect pool amid a surprising season. Chicago (48-45) has a share of the AL Central lead following three straight 100-plus-loss campaigns, including an MLB-record 121 defeats in 2024.
Cholowsky is the third No. 1 pick in White Sox history, joining Hall of Famer Harold Baines (1977) and Danny Goodwin (1971).
