As we quickly approach the 2026 MLB Draft, which is set to begin this Saturday afternoon, tensions are rising as to who will be selected first overall by the Chicago White Sox. Unlike other years, where a consensus top prospect sits at the top of the board, this draft may not be so simple.
Roch Cholowsky, the talented shortstop from UCLA, has been the betting favorite to be the top choice for months, but that may be starting to shift. Standing at 6-2, 200 pounds, the UCLA freshman won the Big Ten Conference Baseball Player of the Year in 2025 while helping UCLA win the College World Series for the first time in 12 seasons. In 2026, he won the award for the second consecutive year before declaring for the MLB Draft.
While Cholowsky's achievements have been impressive, MLB Pipeline has dropped Cholowsky behind Texas prep shortstop Grady Emerson in their latest draft prospect rankings, a move that has caused controversy due to its timing. No matter which way the White Sox decide to go, they will be getting a highly skilled, versatile shortstop with infinite potential. Let's look at why they could go after each prospect.
Roch Cholowsky keeps on raking 🐻
— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) May 10, 2026
On the heels of a two-homer performance Saturday night, MLB's No. 1 Draft prospect goes yard again -- his 21st homer of the year.
(🎥: @UCLABaseball)pic.twitter.com/imuDaKOUg2
The case for Roch Cholowsky and Grady Emerson
Let's start with Cholowsky, the older man with the higher floor, and some believe the lower ceiling. Cholowsky has caught eyes of scouts ever since he was raking in high school. In 2023, rather than declaring for the draft out of high school like Emerson, Cholowsky opted to play college ball, thanks to the new development of NIL money at the time. Cholowsky is much more developed, having played multiple years of college ball, and has proved that he can make the proper adjustments to become a big league ballplayer. He's hit 20 home runs in each of the last two college seasons, and looks like the most polished and well-rounded player in the class. I'd say he's the favorite to be picked by Chicago due to their timeline.
While Cholowsky has the slight betting odds advantage right now, you never know how teams think, especially a week before the draft. With the new announcement of Emerson being the number one draft prospect, many fans and press members alike are wondering if Emerson is the correct man for the job. Emerson's balance of offensive and defensive tools and his upside have some scouts believing he's going to be the best player in the draft. He's very young, meaning he'll need more time to develop, but also making some evaluators believe that he's got a higher ceiling than Cholowsky.
Some outlets have tied the White Sox to Georgia Tech catcher Vahn Lackey, though that seems far less likely than one of the shortstops because of the White Sox organizational depth at the catcher position and Lackey's general lack of track record.
The excitement is rising for the MLB draft, and it will be interesting to see how the White Sox play it. With just a few days to go, White Sox fans still have more questions than answers.
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