ORLANDO, Fla. -- MLB Draft Lottery parties scattered across Chicago’s South Side went crazy right before 5 p.m. CT Tuesday night.
The White Sox logo was flipped over on a placard at that point at the Winter Meetings, giving the club its first No. 1 overall pick since Harold Baines in 1977. When Baines received a call from then-White Sox general manager Roland Hemond the night before going No. 1 back when Jimmy Carter was president, the talented player out of St. Michael’s High School in Easton, Md., had no agent.
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Baines and his family had to find a lawyer through the yellow pages to go over the fine print the ensuing day. The Hall of Famer and White Sox icon was the team’s good luck charm and representative at the fourth MLB Draft Lottery, bringing some much-needed positive news to the rebuilding franchise.
“It takes a lot for me to get nervous. But it was fun. I had never been to a Draft [lottery] before this one,” a smiling Baines said. “I’m happy for the organization. I’m still a part of it. I’m happy for them to get whoever the No. 1 pick is going to be.”
If Baines was happy, then general manager Chris Getz and the rest of his front office staff were downright giddy. This team endured three straight seasons of at least 100 losses, including the 121 defeats in ‘24 to set a record for Baseball’s Modern Era (since 1901).
Getz knew things wouldn’t be easy as he put his plan into place, building an infrastructure to help strengthen the team in every facet while helping to bring in better players and then better develop said players. He also honestly might not have imagined it would be this difficult.
So, as the White Sox crew went out for their organizational dinner Tuesday night, they were more than ready to celebrate near the Magic Kingdom.
“This is a significant event for us. It can’t be understated how important it is,” Getz said. “We’ve been hard at work at bringing talent into the organization in different ways, and obviously the amateur Draft is an obvious avenue. Now, to be able to get a chance at the top talent in the Draft, it’s really exciting and just gives us a greater boost.
“Last year, as players were joining our Major League club and performing the way they did, you began to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Now it’s just shining a little bit brighter.”
White Sox director of amateur scouting Mike Shirley officially is on the clock for the first overall pick on July 12 in Philadelphia. Chicago had the best odds (27.73%) for No. 1 entering Tuesday, so while it was the greatest, most jubilant sort of surprise to get the top selection overall above the Rays, the club was already at work.
“Great day in White Sox history. We’re super excited,” Shirley said. “We will exhaust all resources to ensure we’re prepared and execute Draft plans. Chris continues to build this thing out with a real plan, a plan that continues to build opportunities for the White Sox, and this will be another step in that direction.”
“Going into the whole Draft prepping for the lottery, you want to govern your emotions because you don’t know what the outcome is going to be,” Getz said. “But as the teams started falling, well it’s gotta end up somewhere. It looks like it’s coming our way.”
With the 10th pick in the 2025 Draft, the White Sox took shortstop Billy Carlson out of Corona High School in California. Carlson was listed by some as the best defensive shortstop coming into the Draft over the past decade or two.
Roch Cholowsky, a 20-year-old shortstop at UCLA, seems to be the consensus No. 1 prospect going into the 2026 Draft. A number of people across Tuesday’s Winter Meetings raved about Cholowsky’s elite, game-changing ability before he officially moved into play for the White Sox.
Maybe “Roch of Ages” as a theme for his arrival on the South Side? Or how about “Roch 'n' Roll” or even “Rate Field Roch?” There’s plenty of time to decide that nickname or if Cholowsky will be the No. 1 pick, but most importantly for the White Sox, it’s their choice to make and further transform the franchise.
“I’m really happy for our organization, our fan base and look forward to diving in more and learning more about this upcoming Draft and getting out and watching these guys,” Getz said. “It’s just a big moment for us, and the opportunity not only to capitalize on the first pick, but the depth of the Dawesraft and having the pool space, the capital to go out and bring in even more talent … I can’t say how excited we are.”