PHILADELPHIA — With the No. 1 pick in what could be the last MLB draft of its type, the White Sox selected UCLA shortstop Roch Cholowsky on Saturday afternoon at the Pennsylvania Convention Center.
The White Sox, winners of the draft lottery last offseason, opted for the more secure route in taking the back-to-back Big Ten player of the year. Chicago also seriously considered taking Texas high school shortstop Grady Emerson, who instead went to the Rays with the second overall pick.
Cholowsky, expected since late last year to be the top overall pick, will be in line for a $11.35 million signing bonus. The White Sox, however, have some latitude within their overall $20.49 million bonus pool to go above or below that individual slot value for Cholowsky—to either help get a contract done or to save money to aid in deals with other draft picks.
The White Sox have been one of the more notable stories of the 2026 MLB season so far, rebounding from three consecutive 100-loss seasons that included a MLB-record 121-loss campaign in 2024. Entering Saturday’s games, Chicago is now in a virtual tie with the Guardians for the AL Central division lead.
Cholowsky is the first Bruin to be picked first in the MLB draft since the Pirates selected Gerrit Cole, now with the Yankees, at that position in 2011.
