The Chicago White Sox were the worst team in the MLB during the 2024 MLB season, but this organization has turned it around in just two years. Chicago currently leads the American League Central with a 65-58 record. If they were to win the central this season, it would be the first time since the 2021 MLB season that the White Sox would have won the division.
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS – JULY 12: Chicago White Sox 2026 Draft Pick Roch Cholowsky delivers a ceremonial first pitch before a game between the Athletics and the Chicago White Sox at Rate Field on July 12, 2026 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Griffin Quinn/Getty Images)
Even if they were to fall short in the postseason, they have a promising future ahead. Shortstop Roch Cholowsky was the number one overall pick in the 2026 MLB Draft from the UCLA Bruins. He is currently playing in High-A with the Salem-Winston Dash. In nine games with the Dash, Cholowsky has a .167 batting average with one home run and 10 RBIs, along with three stolen bases. His on-base percentage is .326. It is obvious that he has a good eye at the plate. He is 21 years old and is projected to reach Chicago by some point during the 2027 MLB season.
Shortstop Roch Cholowsky Headlines the Chicago White Sox Top Prospects
PHILADELPHIA, PA – JULY 11: Commissioner of Major League Baseball Robert D. Manfred announces Roch Cholowsky as the first overall pick by the Chicago White Sox during the 2026 MLB Draft presented by Nippon Express at Pennsylvania Convention Center on Saturday, July 11, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Daniel Shirey/MLB Photos via Getty Images)
Cholowsky is the number one prospect in the White Sox system and he is the #11th best prospect in all of baseball according to MLB.com. Chicago has the 15th ranked farm system in all of baseball. Before the 2026 MLB season began, they had the 16th ranked farm system. It appears as if the White Sox had a good 2026 MLB Draft that they were able to move up one spot in those rankings.
Sam Dykstra, Jim Callis, and Jonathan Mayo of mlb.com said about Cholowsky and the White Sox top prospects,
“The White Sox have gone from an MLB-record 121 losses in 2024 to pulling away in the American League Central just two years later, thanks in large part to a system that has sent six Top 100 prospects (led by Colson Montgomery and Braden Montgomery) and several other key contributors (Sean Burke, Sam Antonacci, Grant Taylor) to Chicago. Next in line is Bonemer, who’s tearing up Double-A pitching at age 20. The Sox replenished their system with a record $22,670,200 in bonus payments in the 2026 Draft, reeling in No. 1 overall pick Cholowsky, two of the best high school bats available in infielders Cole Prosek and Landon Thome and some much-needed pitching highlighted by Joey Volchko.”
Also, some of the scouting report on MLB.com said about him,
“If Cholowsky reaches his offensive ceiling, he’ll have four plus or better tools. He was under the scouting microscope for so long that some mild questions emerged about how his right-handed stroke will play with wood bats and whether he’ll be more than a solid hitter. His swing decisions were average and his contact ability slightly above-average by college standards in 2026. He has well-above-average raw power and gets to it by turning on balls and driving them in the air without selling out for power.
Scouts considered Cholowsky the best defensive player in the 2026 Draft. He’s not the fastest shortstop but has a quick first step and smooth actions that give him plenty of range to both sides. He also has the arm, athleticism and body control to execute any throw from any angle. While he’s a merely average runner, he worked to improve his speed as a junior.”
Cholowsky throws right-handed and also bats right-handed. There is a very good chance that he will start the 2027 minor league baseball season in Double-A with the Birmingham Barons. Even though his batting average is .167, there is a reason why the White Sox sent him to High-A right away to start his professional career. He has proven to be good already at the High-A level with Winston-Salem also.
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