Since the day the White Sox landed the first overall pick in December, many fans have circled UCLA shortstop Roch Cholowsky as the likely White Sox choice. As the high school and college seasons played out, another name entered the conversation: Texas prep shortstop Grady Emerson. After months of speculation, rumors, and debates, the pick has finally been revealed. It turns out, the rumors about Emerson were greatly exaggerated. The White Sox have officially selected Roch Cholowsky with the first overall pick in the draft, making him the third player to be drafted first overall by Chicago in franchise history.
The first name called, the next name to know: Roch Cholowsky pic.twitter.com/j3N2WO1d2w
— Chicago White Sox (@whitesox) July 11, 2026
Cholowsky, 21, was a dual-sport athlete at Hamilton High School in Arizona, which produced big leaguer Cody Bellinger and White Sox prospect Shane Murphy. After a stellar senior season, Cholowsky committed to play college baseball at UCLA, where he was named Big Ten Player of the Year during his sophomore season and was a semifinalist for the Golden Spikes Award. Entering his draft year, Cholowsky was widely considered the clear top prospect in the class. Despite another solid season at UCLA, Cholowsky didn’t take the leap forward many evaluators anticipated, and his status as the top prospect has been more up in the air.
MLB Pipeline’s latest draft prospect rankings put Cholowsky second in the class, with 60 grades for his Hit, Power, and Arm tools and a 65 grade for his fielding. In their write-up about Cholowsky, they say the following:
“He’s considered by some to be the best all-around college shortstop prospect since Troy Tulowitzki and has done nothing to diminish that take with a solid junior season”
Cholowsky may be the perfect blend of floor and ceiling for the White Sox
The general consensus around Cholowsky the past few months has been that he represents a higher-floor or “safer” option for the White Sox than a player like Grady Emerson. While it’s true that Cholowsky is a much more mature hitter than Emerson, White Sox fans shouldn’t overlook the kind of upside he brings to the table. At his floor, you’re looking at a 20 home run shortstop that plays solid defense. At his ceiling, he’s a superstar in every sense of the word. The White Sox will need to develop Cholowsky as they would with any prospect, but he’s a mature hitter and could be a quick riser through the White Sox farm system.
As a college player, Cholowsky is very likely to be assigned to an affiliate before the end of this season, and there’s a non-zero chance the White Sox send him straight to Winston-Salem as they’ve done with other picks in the past. According to Joe Doyle of Overslot Sports, Cholowsky will sign with the team for more than $10 million, a hefty price but still nearly $1.5 million under slot value. His bonus will be the highest ever for a player selected in the draft. The savings along with the White Sox trade for the 34th pick should allow them the option of floating a player they like to a later round.
As much as the White Sox did their due diligence on other options, Roch Cholowsky began the year as the favorite to be the first overall pick, and he ended it in the same spot. It’s a day to celebrate for White Sox fans. Chicago has landed a dynamic right-handed bat that could impact the big league club as soon as 2027 and has the talent to be the next superstar on the south side.
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