White Sox’s select UCLA shortstop Roch Cholowsky with first pick of MLB draft
· Yahoo Sports
CHICAGO — The Chicago White Sox selected UCLA shortstop Roch Cholowsky with the No. 1 pick of the MLB draft on Saturday.
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Cholowsky, 21, slashed .320/.452/.636 with 10 doubles, 21 home runs, 60 RBIs, 73 runs and a 1.088 OPS in 60 games as a junior with the Bruins.
“Drafting Roch today adds another standout talent and person of impressive character to this organization at absolutely the right time,” general manager Chris Getz said in a statement. “Roch, his family and his support structure impressed us throughout the entire process, and his experience at UCLA certainly prepared him to take the next step as a professional.
“An outstanding defensive shortstop, Roch brings an impact bat to any lineup, and he is a leader on the field as well as in the clubhouse. He has more than lived up to very high expectations, and we cannot wait to get him into our organization, get started and see him continue his growth and success.”
The pick drew a big cheer from fans watching the video board at Rate Field before Saturday’s game against the Athletics. And as Commissioner Rob Manfred announced Cholowsky as the top pick, the handful of Sox fans attending the draft at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia started cheering and twirling their MLB-issued towels to celebrate.
Cholowsky hit .329/.448/.624 (224-681) with 41 doubles, 52 home runs, 167 RBIs, 105 walks, 191 runs and a 1.072 OPS in 178 games over three seasons (2024-26) with UCLA. He became the third player ever named Big Ten Player of the Year in back-to-back seasons.
The consensus first-team All-American was ranked the second-best prospect in the 2026 class, according to MLB Pipeline.
“Roch has had an amazing career playing at an elite level while handling all of the various pressures and expectations that came with entering this season as the top prospect in college baseball,” Sox director of amateur scouting Mike Shirley said in a statement. “As much as he impressed us on the field at UCLA with his offensive and defensive play, I told him we were equally impressed with the maturity and poise he showed all season long under intense scrutiny.
“Not just an outstanding baseball player, his parents should be very proud of the young man he has become. We are more than excited to add Roch to our organization today.”
He was recommended by Sox area scout Carlos Muniz.
Cholowsky is the third No. 1 pick in Sox history, joining Danny Goodwin in 1971 and Hall of Famer Harold Baines in 1977.