Chicago White Sox Select UCLA Shortstop Roch Cholowsky First Overall in 2026 MLB Draft

The Chicago White Sox selected UCLA shortstop Roch Cholowsky with the first overall pick of the 2026 MLB amateur draft on Saturday in Philadelphia. Cholowsky, a 6-foot-2 right-handed hitter, posted a 1.088 OPS with 21 home runs and 60 RBIs during his junior season at UCLA. He is the first college shortstop taken first overall since Dansby Swanson in 2015 and the first UCLA player selected No.

1 since Gerrit Cole in 2011. White Sox general manager Chris Getz said Cholowsky’s family and support structure impressed the team throughout the process. Getz added that Cholowsky’s UCLA experience prepared him for professional baseball and that he is an outstanding defensive shortstop with an impact bat.

The White Sox earned the top selection after finishing last season with 102 losses and winning the draft lottery. The team had not held the first overall pick since selecting Harold Baines in 1977. Tampa Bay selected Texas high school shortstop Grady Emerson second.

Minnesota took Georgia Tech catcher Vahn Lackey third, San Francisco picked right-handed pitcher Jackson Flora from UC Santa Barbara fourth, and the Pirates chose LSU outfielder Derek Curiel fifth. Louisville outfielder Zion Rose went sixth to Kansas City, Oak Grove High School outfielder Eric Booth Jr.

went seventh to Baltimore, the Athletics took Georgia Tech outfielder Drew Burress eighth, Atlanta selected Virginia outfielder AJ Gracia ninth, and Colorado chose Kentucky shortstop Tyler Bell tenth.

No amateur players attended the draft at the Philadelphia convention center. MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred mispronounced Cholowsky’s name at the podium. The last name is pronounced chil-OW'-skee.