​PHILADELPHIA — In what could be the final MLB draft of its current format, the White Sox selected UCLA shortstop Roch Cholowsky with the No. 1 pick Saturday afternoon at the Pennsylvania Convention Center. After winning the draft lottery last offseason, Chicago chose the more secure path by taking the back-to-back Big Ten player of the year. They also weighed the option of selecting Texas high school shortstop Grady Emerson, who ultimately went second overall to the Rays.
Cholowsky, anticipated to be the top overall pick since late last year, is in line for an $11.35 million signing bonus. The White Sox, however, still have some flexibility within their overall $20.49 million bonus pool, allowing them to exceed or fall short of Cholowsky’s slot value to facilitate his contract or to conserve funds for other picks in the draft.
Chicago has been one of the season’s more notable stories, climbing back from three straight 100-loss campaigns, including a franchise-worst 121 losses in 2024. As of Saturday’s games, the White Sox found themselves in a virtual tie with the Guardians for the lead in the American League Central. Cholowsky’s selection marks the first time a Bruin has gone No. 1 in the MLB draft since Gerrit Cole was chosen by the Pirates in 2011 (Cole is now with the Yankees).
The White Sox increased their draft pool to $20.49 million after also acquiring the No. 34 pick in a late Friday trade with Pittsburgh. That pick is part of the competitive balance rounds positioned immediately after the first and second rounds, and under current MLB rules those competitive balance selections are the only ones that can be traded.
This year’s draft could be the last of its kind, depending on the outcome of ongoing labor negotiations between MLB and the MLB Players Association. MLB owners recently proposed sweeping changes to the draft, including hard signing-bonus slots, slicing the overall pool by about half, reducing the number of rounds, and, most controversially, making all American-born teenagers ineligible to sign until they turn 20. Predictably, the union has strongly resisted the owners’ offer. If management ultimately prevails, selections like 18-year-old Emerson could fade from the landscape, taking with them the prospect of future players becoming part of the Hall of Fame, such as Mickey Mantle, Ken Griffey Jr., and Bob Feller, who first reached the majors as teens.
MLB continues to push the draft as a major fan event, following more ambitious productions in recent years in Atlanta and two years ago in Texas. A new scheduling format for the All-Star break and related events shifted the draft from its previous Sunday primetime position to a run commencing Saturday afternoon, enabling a continuous flow of ballpark happenings from Sunday through Tuesday at Citizens Bank Park. The shift aimed to improve the overall fan experience and bolster the event’s visibility.