The Chicago White Sox have been through it. A 121-loss season in 2024. Three straight years of 100-plus losses before that. A rebuild that felt more like a slow bleed. But something changed this year. They are tied for first in the AL Central. They are fourth in MLB with 129 home runs. And on Saturday, they added the final piece.
The White Sox took UCLA shortstop Roch Cholowsky with the No. 1 overall pick in the MLB Draft. He was the obvious choice for most of the season, though there was last-minute chatter that Texas prep star Grady Emerson might jump him. When MLB commissioner Rob Manfred read Cholowsky’s name, the kid cried on camera. He had visited Chicago a couple weeks earlier. He wanted this exact outcome. The White Sox wanted him too.
Cholowsky Will Be in Chicago by 2027
Teams don’t wait on top picks anymore. Jackson Holliday was in the majors a year after the Orioles took him first overall. Paul Skenes started an All-Star game in his second season. Travis Bazzana is already in Cleveland’s lineup. Cholowsky is going to be on a similar timeline. He is expected to debut early in the 2027 season, possibly out of spring training.
One caveat: there could be a labor stoppage. The current collective bargaining agreement expires after this season. If there is a strike or lockout, it could push everything back. But assuming baseball keeps playing, Cholowsky will be in the big leagues before the 2027 All-Star break.
He Hits for Power. A Lot of It.
The White Sox did not draft Cholowsky for his glove, though it is legit. He can play shortstop at an elite level. He gets to balls in the hole, makes the strong throw, and calls the defense. But the reason he went No. 1 is the bat.
At UCLA last season, Cholowsky hit .320 with a .453 on-base percentage and a .636 slugging percentage. He hit 21 home runs and drove in 60 runs in 60 games. In 2025, he hit 23 homers with 75 RBI. He has bat speed and can turn on high fastballs. He can also drive the ball the other way. He should be a 30-homer guy in the majors, probably early in his career.
Manager Will Venable will slot him into the middle of the order. That is where the White Sox need him.
Pairing Cholowsky with Murakami Could Be Special
The White Sox have been a bad offensive team for years. They ranked 23rd in homers last year and dead last in 2024. But this season is different. The addition of Japanese slugger Munetaka Murakami has transformed the lineup. He has 34 home runs and is a legitimate MVP candidate. The White Sox now have 129 homers through 95 games, more than the two-time defending champion Dodgers.
Cholowsky and Murakami together change the math.
Colston Montgomery is also in the picture. So are Miguel Vargas, Sam Antonacci and Kyle Teel. The White Sox have built a lineup that can mash. Cholowsky is the shortstop of the future, likely hitting third or fourth behind Murakami. That kind of 1-2 punch can carry a team through a long season and into October.
The White Sox are not just a feel-good story anymore. They are a team with real talent and a clear path forward. Cholowsky’s arrival does not guarantee a championship. But it does give Chicago a young, powerful core that should be dangerous for years.
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