The Chicago White Sox selected UCLA shortstop Roch Cholowsky with the first overall pick in the 2026 MLB Draft on Saturday in Philadelphia, where the league is hosting All-Star Weekend. The pick was widely anticipated, and Cholowsky becomes the highest-drafted player in UCLA history at the position.
According to CBS Sports, the draft will span two days and produce 613 picks across 20 rounds. The top five picks set the tone for the class. After the White Sox took Cholowsky at No. 1, the Tampa Bay Rays grabbed high school shortstop Grady Emerson at No. 2, the Minnesota Twins selected Georgia Tech catcher Vahn Lackey at No. 3, the San Francisco Giants chose college right-hander Jackson Flora fourth, and the Pittsburgh Pirates drafted LSU outfielder Derek Curiel to round out the top five.
The first round leaned heavily toward college talent. Twenty-six of the first 40 picks were college players. Among those 40 selections, 11 shortstops and 11 right-handed pitchers were taken, along with nine outfielders, four left-handed pitchers, three catchers, a third baseman, and a second baseman.
One of the more unusual storylines from the draft involves two UCLA teammates landing in the same division. The Athletics selected UCLA infielder Roman Martin with the 111th pick in the fourth round. Martin played third base this past season to make room for Cholowsky at shortstop. According to a report by Yahoo Sports, Martin hit .333 with a .995 OPS in 60 games this season and is considered a strong defender who could return to shortstop at the professional level.
The Athletics also selected North Carolina State right-handed pitcher Jacob Dudan with the 83rd overall pick in the third round. Dudan is a long-term investment. He underwent Tommy John surgery earlier this year after throwing 116 pitches against Notre Dame on April 4, hitting 98 mph in the eighth inning before his elbow gave out, and he will not return to the mound until 2027.
MLB Pipeline described Dudan's fastball and slider combination as dynamic, with his slider producing a 41 percent chase rate and a 48 percent swing-and-miss rate in the spring before his injury. He averaged 96 mph and touched 99 with his fastball as a junior. His walk rate dropped from 15 percent in his first two seasons to 6 percent in 2026. Scouts believe his delivery, which features long arm action and a low slot, makes him more likely to profile as a reliever than a starter long term.
The White Sox also used their second pick of the draft, the 34th overall selection, on shortstop Landon Thome out of Nazareth Academy High School in Illinois. Chicago added second baseman Cole Prosek from Magnolia Heights High School in Mississippi with the 41st pick.
Other notable selections in the later portion of the first round included Carter Beck, an outfielder from Indiana State, going to the Atlanta Braves at No. 26, and Carson Wiggins, a right-handed pitcher from Arkansas, going to the New York Mets at No. 27 under a 10-pick CBT penalty. The Houston Astros took Notre Dame right-hander Jack Radel at No. 28.
The New York Yankees, also operating under a 10-pick penalty, took Arkansas left-hander Hunter Dietz at No. 35. The Los Angeles Dodgers, under the same penalty, selected Christ Church Episcopal High School shortstop Bo Lowrance at No. 40.
The draft continues Sunday, with the remaining rounds to be completed before the conclusion of All-Star Weekend in Philadelphia.