ANAHEIM – Will the White Sox take shortstop Roch Cholowsky out of UCLA with the first overall pick in the 2026 MLB Draft, fulfilling the expectations of many around the game?
Could fellow shortstop Grady Emerson from Fort Worth Christian High School in Texas be the choice of the South Siders? Or could it be another player going as the Draft’s top selection?
White Sox director of amateur scouting Mike Shirley has an idea of the direction he will go on July 11. But the process remains detailed and ongoing, as he explained to MLB.com during a Tuesday conversation.
“Yeah, I don’t think we are there yet,” Shirley said. “Obviously we are working hard on those names that you bring up as well as a couple of others. I do think it’s fair to say it’s tightened to four or five parties, and there are favorites within the four or five party membership.
“We all have preferences. But things are getting tighter around here, I promise that. I think that’s been the fun part, that’s been the exciting part, the push. Sometimes in your job, you get pushed to use all the skills and take all the information. We’ve all been pushed to really work hard and get this portion of the program right.”
This selection marks the third time the White Sox have picked at No. 1 overall. Danny Goodwin didn’t sign out of Peoria High School in 1971, and Harold Baines went from St. Michael’s High School in Easton, Md., to the White Sox in 1977 to an eventual Hall of Famer to a revered staple of the organization.
Baines tells the story of then-White Sox general manager Roland Hemond calling him with news of being the top pick, leading Baines to go through the Yellow Pages and find a lawyer to help him in the process. Baines preferred not to reveal what his signing bonus was almost 50 years ago, but it wasn’t close to the $11,350,600 slotted at No. 1 overall this year.
The White Sox have the third-highest overall bonus pool at $17,592,100. But this pick at 1-1 could and should be a difference maker in a rebuild already moving into the competitive phase at the big league level.
Their pick carries an expectation of contributing in the Majors at some point in 2027, although all players' timelines, of course, are different. It’s why the White Sox are looking at the makeup and essence of each candidate beyond his skillset.
“Amen,” Shirley said. “It’s a big responsibility to go 1-1. I think the marketplace thinks you should have it all. I think it’s OK to think about this player being able to do it all. Have the tools, have the skills, have the makeup, but also be a leader who wants to win championships.
“Those things matter. We are trying to decipher through all of this: how they handle the postseason play, how they finish their season. I think that matters. We play the games to win, so there’s a scoreboard and it sure tells a story.”
Players go through ebbs and flows throughout a season. So, the White Sox are looking at their start, middle and finally “to see if they have the foot on the gas pedal when it counts,” according to Shirley.
“Especially if you are a college player and working toward a championship season, how much do you contribute toward a championship season with your team? How are you handling that? That becomes really critical,” Shirley said. “Even for a high school player trying to win a state championship.
‘There are important things watching each one of these kids we are considering to see how they want to contribute to that operation. The goal is to win a championship in Chicago. We want championship players.”
Shirley isn’t worried about a potential glut of talent throughout the system at a particular position when calling this name.
“[White Sox general manager] Chris Getz tells me every day we are taking the best player. That’s from him,” Shirley said. “I’ve thrown equations at him and he’s been steadfast in the fact we are taking the best player.
“That has not wavered one bit, and that’s been the marching orders from him and we are doing our best to follow. … Those names people talk about in the public, they are being heavily considered in this. I think people know who the candidates are.”