White Sox still deciding among three for No. 1 MLB pick
The Chicago White Sox are still weighing three finalists for the No. 1 overall pick in the mlb draft 2026: UCLA shortstop Roch Cholowsky, Texas high school shortstop Grady Emerson, and Georgia Tech catcher Vahn Lackey. With the first round set for Saturday afternoon, vice president of amateur scouting Mike Shirley says the decision remains an open book.
Shirley confirmed Wednesday that internal debates over Cholowsky, Emerson, and Lackey are happening "up to the minute," according to ESPN. The call matters beyond prospect rankings: Chicago holds the top pick for the third time in franchise history and is pairing draft drama with a surprising first-place season after three straight 100-loss years.
Key Takeaways
- The White Sox are actively debating three names for the No. 1 pick: Cholowsky, Emerson, and Lackey.
- Industry odds from MLB.com analysts frame it as largely a two-man race between Emerson and Cholowsky, with Lackey as a long-shot contingency.
- General manager Chris Getz has told scouting leadership to take the best player available, not fill a positional need.
- The first round begins Saturday afternoon, roughly when Chicago hosts the Athletics in a matinee at Guaranteed Rate Field.
- FanGraphs projects Emerson at No. 1, citing fewer swing questions than Cholowsky and a higher upside ceiling.
Who are the three White Sox finalists?
Roch Cholowsky is a UCLA shortstop who "held serve" during his junior college season, hitting .320 with 21 home runs, according to Shirley. The White Sox previously tried to sign him out of high school. Grady Emerson is a Fort Worth Christian shortstop who Shirley said closed the gap on Cholowsky during his senior year of high school.
Vahn Lackey is a Georgia Tech catcher Shirley described as a "supreme catcher who could define the position." MLB.com ranks all three atop its Draft Top 250 list, with Emerson first, Cholowsky second, and Lackey third.
Who is favored to go No. 1 overall?
Despite Shirley naming all three, MLB.com draft analysts Jim Callis and Jonathan Mayo see a tighter race at the top. Callis assigned Emerson a 51% chance, Cholowsky 47%, and Lackey just 2%. Mayo split the difference evenly at 50% each for Emerson and Cholowsky.
Callis argued Emerson is the best pure hitter in the class with above-average tools across the board and the highest ceiling on the board. Cholowsky is widely viewed as the safer, more polished college option. Lackey remains in the conversation but is generally seen as a half-tier below the two shortstops and more of a contingency plan than a true frontrunner.
What does FanGraphs project for Chicago?
In its 2026 Mock Draft 1.0, FanGraphs slots Emerson to the White Sox at No. 1. The mock notes that industry sources see the top tier as three players deep, with Roch and Emerson most often linked to Chicago while Lackey has drawn less buzz for the top spot.
FanGraphs raises a key scouting question about Cholowsky: whether his swing will translate as well in pro ball. Emerson carries fewer swing concerns, and if he adds strength, FanGraphs writes he could have the best ceiling of the trio — something harder to project with college players who can only meet or fall short of expectations.
Why does this pick matter for the White Sox?
Chicago won the draft lottery in December and owns a slot value of more than $11.3 million for the top pick. Shirley echoed Getz's directive that the franchise is "taking the best player," not drafting for need. That matters because the organization already has young infield talent and catcher depth in its pipeline.
The timing adds extra theater. Round one starts Saturday afternoon around the same time the surprising, first-place White Sox face the Athletics at home — a stark contrast to a club that lost 121 games in 2024. Shirley joked he does not want to pick first again: "I want to pass this on to someone else, and I want the White Sox to win a championship here real soon."
For more offbeat sports headlines, browse our Bizarre News & Florida Man section — where draft-week drama and unexpected league turnarounds tend to collide.