The Chicago White Sox hold the first overall pick in the 2026 MLB Draft. As the draft gets closer, there seems to be a relative consensus who Chicago should take with that selection.
MLB Pipeline surveyed various members inside the scouting industry to see how people inside the game view this upcoming draft. 15 of the 21 surveyed members came to the consensus that the White Sox will take UCLA shortstop Roch Cholowsky with the No. 1 pick.
Of the other six votes, three went to Fort Worth Christian shortstop Grady Emerson, two to Gulliver prep shortstop Jacob Lombard, and one went to to Georgia Tech catcher Vahn Lackey. So it seems like the industry, or at least the ones who responded to the survey, expect the White Sox to take a shortstop.
White Sox Expected to Draft Roch Cholowsky
Ever since the White Sox won the draft lottery, they’ve been linked to Roch Cholowsky with the pick. The UCLA shortstop has remained the consensus top player in the draft class throughout the entire year.
The consensus from the responses is that Cholowsky is outright the best player in the draft class.
“Roch has separated himself as a near ready Major League shortstop,” one scouting executive told MLB Pipeline. “He bet on himself going to college, and it paid off. I’d be shocked if by the end of 2027, he’s not in a big league uniform.”
“He is the best player…don’t overthink it,” a scouting director told MLB Pipeline.
What makes Cholowsky the top prospect in the draft is not only does he have the ceiling of an All-Star shortstop, but he’s very close to it entering pro ball. His draft scouting report has a 65 future value (~5.0 WAR per 600 plate appearances), with the potential for four “plus” tools. While there’s no ETA attached, he’s arriving no later than the 2028 season if healthy.
Carlos Collazo, who covers the draft for Baseball America, compared the top of this class to 2019. The consensus entering that draft was Oregon State catcher Adley Rutschman was the no-brainer selection with the first overall pick ahead of the uber-talented Bobby Witt Jr. that year. The White Sox seem poised to make a similar decision, with Cholowsky over Emerson. The fact the two prospects play the same position will keep this comparison and decision around for the next 10 years.
Roch Cholowsky’s Potential Fit with the White Sox
There may be long-term questions about Cholowsky’s long-term position with the White Sox. Chicago already has a controllable shortstop in Colson Montgomery. Montgomery has a 122 wRC+ on the season and rates as +5 Outs Above average.
This could be a similar situation to when the Baltimore Orioles brought up Manny Machado. Baltimore already had an established shortstop in J.J. Hardy, so they slid Machado over to third base. Of course, the rest is history, as Machado will go down as one of the top all-around third basemen to play the game.
That seems the likely path for the White Sox if prioritize keeping Montgomery at shortstop long-term. Cholowsky could play any position on the dirt, depending on how the White Sox’s other infield prospects develop. There may be some moving parts in Chicago infield to accommodate the young shortstop, but that’s likely a decision for the 2028 season.
Looking at where the roster could like by then, their current core should be in place. Of their five Top 100 prospects, only 2025 first-rounder Billy Carlson won’t be in or knocking on the door to the big leagues at that time. They could have some tough roster decisions ahead with the infield when Cholowsky arrives, but that’s the kind all organizations would love to have.
If the White Sox select Cholowsky first overall, as the industry expects, the organization can worry about his positional fit later. The decision will be about drafting the best player available, especially when that player projects as a franchise cornerstone.
White Sox Predicted to Draft UCLA Star Infielder by Majority of MLB Evaluators