​Roch Cholowsky became the first former Chandler Hamilton High School standout to be selected No. 1 overall in the Major League Baseball draft. The UCLA shortstop was the first player chosen on Saturday, July 11, and he was picked by the Chicago White Sox. Cholowsky said he fell in love with Chicago when he visited a few months earlier, speaking with NBC’s Greg Amsinger during his draft party at Trophy Bar in Chandler. “The people, the front office, the players, it was everything I wanted in the draft. I’m super excited that I’ve got all the people behind me with me. That was a big thing,” he explained. He added that while he was solid in high school, he knew there was a lot to improve, and college helped accelerate his development.
Cholowsky, a two-time Arizona Gatorade Player of the Year, recently heard high praise from then Hamilton head coach Mike Woods, who had just retired. “I’m just so proud of him and happy for his family. He made his dream come true,” Woods said. A photo from June 17, 2025, at Charles Schwab Field in Omaha shows Cholowsky, the 6-foot-2 right-handed hitter, fielding for UCLA against the Arkansas Razorbacks, an image that underscored his continued ascent in the sport.
The decision not to turn pro out of Hamilton in 2023 stemmed from the significant signing bonus demands teams had placed on Cholowsky to lure him away from UCLA. Over three seasons with the Bruins, he elevated his stock, drawing comparisons to former star Troy Tulowitzki. This past season, Cholowsky posted a 1.088 OPS for UCLA, illustrating why he had become a highly anticipated top draft pick.
“Drafting Roch today adds another standout talent and person of impressive character to this organization at absolutely the right time,” Chicago White Sox general manager Chris Getz said in a news release. “Roch, his family and his support structure impressed us throughout the entire process, and his experience at UCLA certainly prepared him to take the next step as a professional.”
ESPN MLB draft expert Dan Mullen characterized Cholowsky as the wire-to-wire top prospect in the class. While late chatter suggested Grady Emerson and Vahn Lackey might be closing the gap, Chicago chose the consensus No. 1 player on the board. Mullen noted that Cholowsky may not carry blockbuster superstar upside for the top pick, but he brings a high floor and the potential for an All-Star ceiling, along with the prospect of quickly moving through the minors and contributing to a contender that is focused on success now as well as in the future. The top pick of the draft carries an $11.3 million slot value, according to MLB.com.
The conversation around signing out of high school often pits talent against signability. Woods explained that teams sometimes confront difficult questions about what it would take to sign a player away from college. Cholowsky reportedly communicated a price that was too high for the high-stakes nature of the draft. On the day of the draft, he received a few calls offering to draft him if he accepted certain terms, but he declined, choosing to honor his long-term plan with UCLA and his own sense of fit and readiness for professional baseball.