Since the day the White Sox landed the first overall pick in the 2026 MLB draft back in December, the assumption has been that the pick will be UCLA shortstop Roch Cholowsky. As the top-ranked prospect on most publications, Cholowksy didn’t disappoint in 2026, posting very similar numbers to his remarkable junior season. As the draft gets close and the White Sox do their due diligence on several of the top options, rumors have swirled that indicate the first overall pick may not be as much of a slam dunk as it seemed.
ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel, in his latest mock draft posted Friday morning, had the White Sox selecting Cholowsky with the first overall pick, but acknowledged that “this might just be a 50/50 coin flip” between Cholowksy and Texas prep shortstop Grady Emerson. McDaniel later issues a warning to White Sox fans:
“Don’t be surprised if Emerson is the pick here. Seriously, White Sox fans, prepare yourselves mentally that this could happen and don’t just assume it’s the wrong pick because it’s the less famous name”
White Sox fans should heed McDaniel's warning and be open-minded
McDaniel is absolutely right in issuing this warning. Online discourse has gotten to the point where a large contingent of White Sox fans would be upset if Grady Emerson is the first overall pick, and I think that’s completely absurd. Emerson is viewed by many as the player with the highest upside in this entire draft class. MLB Pipeline had high praise for Emerson in their latest draft prospect rankings
“Scouts have a difficult time finding any flaws in Emerson’s game, with one noting the worst thing he can say about him is that he’s not Bobby Witt Jr.”
Grady Emerson 👀
— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) July 12, 2025
The @TexasBaseball commit, considered by many to be the top prep prospect in the '26 Draft class, launches 13 dingers in the High School Home Run Derby.
Watch LIVE: https://t.co/vaO9wWPfuD pic.twitter.com/zrpREfUweJ
You’re telling me that people are going to be genuinely upset with the White Sox adding that guy to their farm system? Wild. The obvious difference between Cholowsky and Emerson is the age and potential proximity to the big leagues. As a 21 year-old college shortstop, Cholowsky would seem, on the surface, to be quicker to the big leagues than Emerson. But top prospects like Konnor Griffin and Kevin McGonigle moving quickly through the minor leagues in recent years are examples of supremely talented prep players that reach the big leagues quickly. If the White Sox believe that Grady Emerson is the caliber of talent that can move quickly, they might go for the higher upside option.
Cholowsky is a more-polished player at this stage and is considered the “safer” option, but look at it this way: Grady Emerson is a better player right now than Cholowsky was at 18, and has three extra years to develop even further. Don’t hear me saying that I prefer Emerson over Cholowsky. If I were making the decision, I’d go with the college hitter that is more likely to reach his ceiling. All I’m trying to say is if Emerson is the pick, White Sox fans should give it a chance before immediately considering it a mistake.
Making the right choice with the first overall pick could be a franchise-changing decision for the White Sox. Even if the White Sox internet scouts have determined that they shouldn’t consider anyone but Roch Cholowsky, the team should take who they believe is the best player in the draft. With players like Noah Schultz, Colson Montgomery, Garrett Crochet, and Hagen Smith already looking like strong selections by Mike Shirley, White Sox fans have every reason to trust the process.
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