Full Breakdown
Chicago White Sox Target UCLA Shortstop Roch Cholowsky in 2026 MLB Mock Draft
7/3/2026, 10:10:44 PM
Mock Draft Forecast: White Sox Aim for Roch Cholowsky
USA TODAY Sports’ latest mock draft projects the Chicago White Sox selecting shortstop Roch Cholowsky of UCLA in the first round of the 2026 Major League Baseball draft. The draft is scheduled for July 14 in Philadelphia, and the White Sox sit at the top of the mock board with Cholowsky listed as their choice.
Background: Combine, Interviews, and Bonus-Pool Constraints
The MLB draft scouting combine in Phoenix served as the final major evaluation step before the July 14 selection. Teams placed particular emphasis on interview sessions and “get-to-know” meetings between front offices and prospects. The White Sox possess the third-largest bonus pool, valued at $17.592 million, a factor that shapes their draft-day calculations and “bonus-pool gymnastics.”
Key Prospects Highlighted Across the First Round
- Roch Cholowsky (SS, UCLA) – the mock’s top pick for Chicago.
- Grady Emerson (SS, Fort Worth Christian HS) – projected for the Tampa Bay Rays.
- Vahn Lackey (C, Georgia Tech) – slated for the Minnesota Twins.
- Jacob Lombard (SS, Gulliver Prep, FL) – listed for the San Francisco Giants.
- Jackson Flora (RHP, UC Santa Barbara) – identified for the Pittsburgh Pirates.
- Eric Booth (OF, Oak Grove, MS) – Kansas City Royals’ mock selection.
- Drew Burress (OF, Georgia Tech) – Baltimore Orioles; career 1.204 OPS, 57 HR (tied Jason Varitek).
- Ryder Helfrick (C, Arkansas) – Colorado Rockies; 18 HR, equal walks and strikeouts.
- Aiden Robbins (OF, Texas) – Milwaukee Brewers; slash line .333/.426/.696, 24 HR after transferring from Seton Hall.
- Tyler Spangler (SS, De La Salle, CA) – Atlanta Braves; high-bonus pool team with two top-26 picks.
Data & Statistics: Performance Metrics and Financial Parameters
- Bonus Pools: Chicago White Sox – $17.592 million (third-highest); Atlanta Braves – nearly $16 million.
- Offensive Production: Burress posted a 1.204 OPS and matched Varitek’s 57 career HR at Georgia Tech.
- Power Indicators: Helfrick recorded 18 HR with a walk-to-strikeout ratio of 1:1; Robbins posted a .696 slugging percentage and increased his HR total from six to twenty-four after moving to Austin.
- Speed and Versatility: Daniel Jackson (Boston Red Sox prospect) logged 32 HR and 26 SB in a College World Series final season.
Official Analysis & Team Strategies
All indications suggest the White Sox remain in deliberation over Cholowsky, with ongoing due-diligence and bonus-pool management expected up to the final moments of the draft. The organization’s preference for a “shovel-ready” college shortstop is framed as a lower-risk alternative to selecting a catcher or a high-school shortstop. Parallel analyses note the Rays’ willingness to reach for high-ceiling talent like Emerson, while the Twins prioritize elite-hitting catchers, and the Giants balance risk by targeting both Lombard (SS) and later-round pitcher Logan Schmidt (LHP).
What’s Next: Draft Day in Philadelphia
The mock draft concludes ahead of the official selection ceremony on July 14 in Philadelphia. Teams will translate combine interviews, statistical profiles, and bonus-pool calculations into final picks, finalizing the first-round order for the 2026 MLB draft.
