CHICAGO – There was a buzz around Rate Field’s main lobby Sunday afternoon about one hour before the first pitch of the pre-All-Star break finale against the Athletics.
It wasn’t centered on the White Sox going for a three-game sweep, but more upon the baseball dignitary arriving at 35th and Shields and greeted by various members of the front office. Roch Cholowsky, the No. 1 selection in this year’s MLB Draft, walked in with camera shots going off and all but began his career with the White Sox.
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On Monday, Cholowsky passed his physical and will sign with the White Sox with a record-setting signing bonus of $10.35 million (the slot value for the pick was $11,350,600), a source told MLB Pipeline’s Jim Callis. The club has not confirmed the deal.
Cholowsky’s bonus eclipses the $9.3 million bonuses given to Reds right-hander Chase Burns and Rockies outfield prospect Charlie Condon when they were drafted in 2024.
Cholowsky’s friends and family joined him in a luxury suite for the 9-1 victory, although his parents were delayed and missed his first pitch to Harold Baines, the Hall of Famer and last No. 1 overall Draft pick for the White Sox in 1977.
“I did see the video and I saw the crowd. So it was very exciting,” Dan Cholowsky, Roch’s father, told MLB.com. “He flew out 2 or 3 weeks ago and fell in love with the city. I want what’s best for him.
“Since he’s been young, I’ve always treated him like a man and I respect his decisions. He said everyone was great to him and he loves it.”
When the younger Cholowsky was coming out of Hamilton High School in Chandler, Ariz., the White Sox worked diligently to add him to the organization. In fact, Dan said the White Sox were the most interested financially at that time.
But Roch wanted to spend three years at UCLA before turning professional. The 6-foot-2, 202-pound shortstop produced a .329/.447/.624 slash line with 52 home runs over 178 games for the Bruins. According to MLB Pipeline, Cholowsky is also a plus defender at shortstop with a strong arm, giving him a good chance to stay at that position at the next level.
“It’s a culmination of all the work he’s put in over the years,” Dan Cholowsky said. “He had a chance to do it out of high school. He bet on himself and obviously it worked out very favorably for him.
“For me, a lot of sleepless nights the last 10 days not knowing what was going to happen. I’m glad it’s over. I’m glad with the outcome and the people of Chicago have been very welcoming to him. In my short time here, everyone has been great to him.”
Dan Cholowsky understands quite a bit more about Major League Baseball than the average father. He was the 39th pick overall in the 1991 Draft by the Cardinals, played 785 games in the Minors and now serves as an amateur scout and supervisor for the Reds.
Landon Thome, the No. 34 pick overall in the Draft selected by the White Sox, met the media and also threw out a first pitch Sunday. His toss went to his dad, Jim, a Hall of Famer and a special assistant to general manager Chris Getz. These two are locked together moving forward from this impressive-looking ‘26 Draft class.
There also was a chance for Cholowsky to meet some of his future teammates, big league teammates he might be playing alongside sooner than later.
“Obviously, great competitors from what I’ve seen and glad to call them teammates,” said rookie left fielder Sam Antonacci of Cholowsky and Thome. “Excited to get to work with them and just want them to use me as a resource in any which way.
“I remember I was in their shoes, heck, two years ago. Living in a hotel in 110 degrees in Arizona, so I’ve come a long way.”
Clear-cut interest existed in Cholowsky from the start by the White Sox, eyeing him as a potential No. 1 overall pick after winning the Draft Lottery last year. The feeling quickly became mutual.
Next up is a Draft camp in Charlotte, N.C., from Thursday to Sunday, as the start of Cholowsky’s professional career.
“I’m biased, of course,” Dan Cholowsky said. “I see things that I think he needs to work on, which is now a Chicago White Sox hitting guys [task]... it’s their job to take it over. But I’m probably his toughest critic. I’m probably the hardest on him.
“Just from what I see, he has a pretty good ceiling. I hope he maximizes it and gets there.”