2026 MLB Mock Draft: White Sox #1 Pick Still Undecided
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- 2026 MLB draft starts Saturday at 1 p.m. ET, with the Chicago White Sox still undecided at No. 1 among UCLA SS Roch Cholowsky, Texas prep SS Grady Emerson, and Georgia Tech C Vahn Lackey
- McDaniel projects Cholowsky to the White Sox at No. 1, Emerson to the Tampa Bay Rays at No. 2, and Lackey to the Minnesota Twins at No. 3, calling the Twins selection 'the most straightforward pick in the draft'
- Pittsburgh Pirates could surprise at No. 5 with Georgia Tech CF Drew Burress, even though they were widely expected to target UCSB RHP Jackson Flora as their quicker-moving college bat
- Colorado Rockies would land McDaniel's No. 6-ranked prospect, Gulliver Prep SS Jacob Lombard, at No. 10 — what McDaniel called 'great' value with 'legitimate star potential' for the first pick of Colorado's new regime
- Los Angeles Angels under interim head of baseball ops John Mozeliak, described as 'mostly hands-off with the draft,' are projected to take Alabama SS Justin Lebron at No. 12
- Golden Spikes winner Daniel Jackson is slotted to the Houston Astros at No. 17 — McDaniel's No. 20-ranked prospect and a catcher offering more defensive value than fellow catchers Bo Lowrance and Ace Reese
- Bonus prices for the top picks reportedly hadn't been discussed as of Thursday, per McDaniel, meaning the No. 1 call likely won't be settled until hours before the draft
Why it matters: A White Sox pick that hasn't even reached the bonus-negotiation stage with hours to go is unusual for a No. 1 overall selection, and the tiebreaker McDaniel identifies — proximity and risk favoring Cholowsky over Emerson — could reshape the top of the draft order for Tampa Bay and Minnesota as well, since all three contenders are weighing similar trade-offs between polish, upside, and positional value.
