White Sox take UCLA's Cholowsky with No. 1 draft pick
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- Chicago White Sox selected UCLA shortstop Roch Cholowsky with the No. 1 overall pick in the MLB amateur draft on Saturday in Philadelphia.
- Cholowsky, a 6-foot-2 right-handed hitter and Golden Spikes finalist, posted a 1.088 OPS with 21 home runs and 60 RBIs in his junior season at UCLA.
- Tampa Bay Rays took shortstop Grady Emerson from Fort Worth Christian HS (Texas) at No. 2; the Minnesota Twins selected Georgia Tech catcher Vahn Lackey at No. 3.
- The White Sox hadn't held the No. 1 pick since taking Harold Baines in 1977, earned it after a 102-loss season and draft lottery win, and view Cholowsky as central to ending their title drought dating to 2005.
Why it matters: A 102-loss franchise spending its first No. 1 pick in 49 years on a polished college bat — not a high-upside arm — signals a win-now roster timeline: Chicago is banking on Cholowsky arriving faster than a prep arm would, betting he becomes the first foundational talent since the 2005 World Series core.
