Roch and Roll: UCLA's Cholowsky No. 1 pick in MLB Draft
The discussions now can stop. The rumor mill can stop churning.
It’s time for the White Sox to Roch and Roll.
Daniel Roch Cholowsky has become the first pick of the 2026 MLB Draft out of UCLA. The White Sox made that move official at 12:43 p.m. CT Saturday, marking their third-overall No. 1 pick in franchise history.
Danny Goodwin didn’t sign out of Peoria High School in 1971. Harold Baines went from St. Michael’s High School in Easton, Md., to the White Sox in 1977 to, eventually, the Hall of Fame as a revered staple of the organization. Cholowsky was thought to be the White Sox favorite from the time the team won the Draft Lottery on Dec. 9, 2025 at the last Winter Meetings, with prep shortstop Grady Emerson and Georgia Tech catcher Vahn Lackey in the mix.
“You see a much stronger player. He’s more physically advanced,” said White Sox director of amateur scouting Mike Shirley, before the selection, of how Cholowsky has changed during this season. “He was the shortstop, the leader and the captain of the No. 1 college team in America. He is foundational on the field with his habits.
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