White Sox make top selection
The Chicago White Sox made UCLA shortstop Roch Cholowsky the first overall pick in the 2026 MLB Draft. This marks the first time the White Sox have held the top selection since 1977, when they drafted Harold Baines. Cholowsky was a Golden Spikes finalist at UCLA, where he recorded a 1.088 OPS with 21 home runs and 60 RBIs during his junior season. He was also recognized as the Big Ten Player of the Year.
Cholowsky expressed excitement about joining the White Sox, noting a positive pre-draft meeting with team officials. He described the team’s clubhouse as having a feel similar to a college environment. The White Sox entered Saturday in first place in the AL Central, having been described as a surprise in baseball after three consecutive seasons with 100 losses. Cholowsky is the first collegiate shortstop to be drafted first overall since Dansby Swanson in 2015 and the first UCLA player to be a No. 1 pick since Gerrit Cole in 2011.
Despite being the top pick, Cholowsky was not present at the draft festivities in Philadelphia. He watched the draft from a party elsewhere, where he became emotional upon hearing his name called. Major League Baseball had previously proposed requiring up to 10 prospects to attend the draft, offering a $50,000 attendance bonus, but no amateur players were scheduled to attend this year’s event, a pattern consistent with the previous year.
Early picks and notable selections
Following Cholowsky, the Tampa Bay Rays selected shortstop Grady Emerson from Fort Worth Christian HS (Texas) as the second pick. Emerson, an 18-year-old, is committed to the University of Texas and played under former Texas Rangers player Rusty Greer during his senior year. The Minnesota Twins then chose catcher Vahn Lackey from Georgia Tech as the third overall pick. Lackey, 21, also demonstrated versatility by playing third base.
The first 10 picks also included Jackson Flora, a right-handed pitcher from UC Santa Barbara, who went to the San Francisco Giants at No. 4. The Pittsburgh Pirates selected outfielder Derek Curiel from LSU with the fifth pick, while the Kansas City Royals drafted outfielder Zion Rose from Louisville at No. 6. Outfielder Eric Booth Jr. from Oak Grove HS (Mississippi) was picked seventh by the Baltimore Orioles. The Oakland Athletics chose outfielder Drew Burress from Georgia Tech at No. 8, the Atlanta Braves selected outfielder AJ Gracia from Virginia at No. 9, and the Colorado Rockies picked shortstop Tyler Bell from Kentucky at No. 10.
Only three pitchers were selected among the first 20 overall picks. The draft continued with picks such as Chris Hacopian (2B, Texas A&M) to the Washington Nationals at No. 11, and Jared Grindlinger (LHP/OF, Huntington Beach HS) to the Los Angeles Angels at No. 12. The St. Louis Cardinals picked Trevor Condon (OF, Etowah HS) at No. 13, and the Miami Marlins selected shortstop Jacob Lombard at No. 14. Lombard is the son of Detroit Tigers bench coach George Lombard Sr. and the younger brother of New York Yankees prospect George Lombard Jr.
Later rounds and family connections
The Arizona Diamondbacks selected Ryder Helfrick (C, Arkansas) at No. 15, followed by Gio Rojas (LHP, Stoneman Douglas HS) to the Texas Rangers at No. 16. The Houston Astros picked Logan Hughes (OF, Texas Tech) at No. 17, and the Cincinnati Reds drafted Justin Lebron (SS, Alabama) at No. 18. Liam Peterson (RHP, Florida) went to the Cleveland Guardians at No. 19, and Jake Schaffner (SS, North Carolina) was selected by the Boston Red Sox at No. 20.
The Toronto Blue Jays made their first selection at No. 39, choosing left-handed pitcher Cole Carlon from Arizona State. Their initial pick was delayed due to a drop of 10 slots for exceeding the second surcharge threshold of the competitive balance tax. Another notable pick with a family connection was Landon Thome, an infielder from Nazareth Academy HS (Illinois), who was drafted by the White Sox at No. 34. He is the son of Jim Thome, a former player for the Phillies, White Sox, and Cleveland, and a baseball Hall of Famer.
The Milwaukee Brewers selected high school shortstop Trey Ebel with the 25th pick. Trey is the brother of Brady Ebel, who was drafted by the Brewers in the previous year. Their father, Dino Ebel, is the Los Angeles Dodgers‘ third base coach. The draft’s first day covered Rounds 1 through 4, with Rounds 5 through 20 scheduled to continue on Sunday, July 12, 2026.
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Source: sportsnet.ca
