Updated

Updated · MLB.com · Jul 11

White Sox Take Roch Cholowsky No. 1 in 2026 MLB Draft as Rays Grab Grady Emerson at 2

Updated

Updated · MLB.com · Jul 11

White Sox Take Roch Cholowsky No. 1 in 2026 MLB Draft as Rays Grab Grady Emerson at 2

Q: Scouts noted hitting flaws despite his success. What must the No. 1 pick fix to achieve his All-Star potential?

To reach his All-Star ceiling, Roch Cholowsky must tighten his swing so it plays against premium professional velocity, especially on pitches inside and at the top of the zone. Scouts’ main concern is that his load has too many moving parts and needs to be quicker. Evaluators have pointed to an Eloy Jimenez-like setup that can leave his hands late, causing him to get jammed on inside fastballs. That issue is tied to his tendency to hunt pitches on the outer half, which worked in college but could be exposed more consistently by pro arms. There is also concern about his hand position during the load. Cholowsky tends to drop his hands, which can lock him into a path better suited for lower pitches and make him vulnerable to high velocity up in the strike zone. Some scouts also see inefficient rotation in the swing, which could hurt his timing against better fastballs and limit how often he turns hittable pitches into pulled damage. The broader test is whether he can prove it against elite velocity. Even supporters noted he had not seen much premium heat in college and, in limited looks, did not do much with it. His junior year also brought a modest rise in strikeouts and a slight dip in walk rate, small indicators that better pitching was beginning to challenge him more. If he simplifies the load, gets his hands through faster, and handles velocity inside and up, his bat and defense still give him clear All-Star upside.

3 articles · Updated · MLB.com · Jul 11

Roch Cholowsky went first overall to the White Sox, who chose the UCLA shortstop over Texas high school shortstop Grady Emerson after taking the decision to the wire.
44 homers over his last two UCLA seasons and a Golden Spikes finalist finish helped make Cholowsky the top college shortstop in the class, with scouts viewing him as a fast-moving long-term defender at the position.
Grady Emerson then went No. 2 to the Rays, giving Tampa Bay MLB Pipeline’s top-ranked prospect — a Gatorade National Player of the Year with five above-average tools and projected staying power at shortstop.
The draft’s opening day runs through Round 4, while the Mets, Yankees, Phillies, Blue Jays and Dodgers were pushed down 10 spots on their first picks for exceeding the second Competitive Balance Tax surcharge threshold.