If there were any lingering questions about why the MLB draft has not turned into the spectacle that the NFL draft is, just listen to the announcement of the No. 1 pick in this year’s class. The NFL, of course, is better than any other sport at dominating the news cycle year round, and producing endless coverage of the draft. And the MLB draft is obviously different given it is much longer and many prospects don’t make their debuts until after years in the minor leagues.Related: 2026 MLB Draft Live Updates: Live Picks, Results & AnalysisStill, MLB didn’t do itself any favors with the start to the 2026 draft, with commissioner Rob Manfred incorrectly pronouncing the name of the No. 1 pick to kick off the event from Philadelphia. MLB isn’t just lagging behind other sports when it comes to the popularity of the draft; the league messed up the most basic part of the draft with butchering the name of its top-picked player, UCLA shortstop Roch Cholowsky, who should have had his name said correctly in one of the biggest moments of his life. Rob Manfred mispronounces No. 1 overall pick Roch Cholowsky's namepic.twitter.com/duSMNTdCbH— Underdog MLB (@UnderdogMLB) July 11, 2026The proper pronunciation for Cholowsky’s name can be found in UCLA’s media guide, who lists his pronunciation as “Rock” “Chill-OW-skee.” Fortunately, even with the mistake, the moment was still special for Cholowsky, who became emotional while celebrating with his family after the White Sox made him the first pick in the class. Cholowsky heads to the White Sox organization after he starred at UCLA for three years, earning Big Ten Player of the Year in 2025 and 2026 and Baseball America College Player of the Year in 2025. This past season with the Bruins, Cholowsky hit .320 while recording 21 home runs and 60 RBIs. Roch Cholowsky was emotional after being selected first overall by the White Sox pic.twitter.com/Ywv6X7JCA5— Jomboy Media (@JomboyMedia) July 11, 2026Cholowsky apparently did not hear Manfred’s mispronunciation, saying per KTLA, “I didn’t hear it get butchered. I heard Roch and kind of lost it.” He told NBC Sports of his emotions after going first, “I fell in love with Chicago when I went out there a couple months back, the people, the office, the players. It was everything that I wanted in the draft. I’m super excited that I’ve got all the people behind me with me.” Following the selection of Cholowsky, the announcement of the next draft picks went smoother, with shortstop Grady Emerson going No. 2 to the Rays, catcher Vahn Lacker heading to the Twins at No. 3, pitcher Jackson Flora joining the Giants at No. 4 and the Pirates selecting outfielder Derek Curiel to round out the top five. After rounds 1-4 of the MLB draft took place Saturday, the draft will conclude Sunday with rounds 5–20.More MLB from Sports IllustratedAdd us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow