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How UCLA's Cholowsky Showing He's Baseball's Best Prospect

The projected No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 MLB Draft is playing like it.
Travis Tyler|
Jun 14, 2025; Omaha, Neb, USA; UCLA Bruins shortstop Roch Cholowsky (1) completes a double play against the Murray State Racers during the second inning at Charles Schwab Field. Mandatory Credit: Steven Branscombe-Imagn Images
Jun 14, 2025; Omaha, Neb, USA; UCLA Bruins shortstop Roch Cholowsky (1) completes a double play against the Murray State Racers during the second inning at Charles Schwab Field. Mandatory Credit: Steven Branscombe-Imagn Images | Steven Branscombe-Imagn Images

UCLA junior shortstop Roch Cholowsky entered the 2026 college baseball season with immense expecations and a prestigious reputation as the No. 1 prospect in baseball.

He's the projected No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 MLB Draft, and he's proving the hype through the first eight games, even after a bit of a slow start.

Cholowsky's Season So Far

The reigning Big Ten Player of the Year had a bit of a slow start by his standards in the season-opening series against UC-San Diego, with a pair of 1-for-4 performances and just two RBIs. However, he responded in the middle game of the series, launching a two-run home run on a two-hit day. He also scored twice that day and finished the weekend with a .333 batting average and five runs scored.

However, Cholowsky really came alive during last Tuesday's midweek rout of Tulane, blasting two home runs and collecting three RBIs and four runs scored on a three-hit day as the Bruins cruised to victory. He carried that into a great weekend performance against No. 8 TCU.

The junior was 4-for-12 again over the weekend, but the hits were much more impactful. He opened the series with a two-home run, five- RBI game, and blasted three home runs with seven RBIs in the sweep, earning his second career Brooks Wallace Player of the Week Award, given by the same group that decides the postseason award for the nation's best shortstop.

Cholowsky carried that momentum into Tuesday's loss to San Diego State, collecting a hit and scoring a run. That means he's now hitting .400 on the season with six home runs, 12 RBIs, a .513 on-base percentage, and a 1.100 slugging percentage.

top prospec
Jun 14, 2025; Omaha, Neb, USA; UCLA Bruins shortstop Roch Cholowsky (1) bunts in a run against the Murray State Racers during the fourth inning at Charles Schwab Field. Mandatory Credit: Steven Branscombe-Imagn Images | Steven Branscombe-Imagn Images

His home run total is tied for the national lead with teammate Will Gasparino and Ole Miss's Judd Utermark, and Cholowsky is 10th nationally in slugging percentage. And if the offense wasn't enough with teams wanting to see the full package, he has a perfect fielding percentage.

All of that has led even opposing media members to declare him MLB ready.

How Does Cholowsky Compare to Past No. 1 Picks

It's honestly tough to tell for several reasons. Cholowsky has only played eight games this season, whereas most of the No. 1 picks played a full season. Arizona State's Spencer Torkelson (No. 1 overall in 2020 to the Detroit Tigers) is the only one with a short enough collegiate season, hitting .340 with six home runs, 11 RBIs, and a .780 slugging percentage in 17 games before COVID-19 forced the season to shut down.

Obviously, Cholowsky plans to play a full season, but he still has as many homers and better numbers in the other categories through eight games. He's also already a much better defender.

top prospec
Jun 17, 2025; Omaha, Neb, USA; UCLA Bruins shortstop Roch Cholowsky (1) throws to first base against the Arkansas Razorbacks during the third inning at Charles Schwab Field. Mandatory Credit: Steven Branscombe-Imagn Images | Steven Branscombe-Imagn Images

Overall, Division I position players have actually been pretty rare at the No. 1 spot. Only five have been selected that early since 1999, with former Oregon State infielder Travis Bazzana going to the Cleveland Guardians in 2024. The others were Henri Davis (Louisville - Pittsburgh Pirates, 2021), Torkelson, Adley Rutschman (Oregon State - Baltimore Orioles, 2019), and Dansby Swanson (Vanderbilt - Arizona Diamondbacks, 2015).

Those players have all had various levels of success in the Majors but were clear talents in their college days. For comparison's sake, Cholowsky is on pace to best all of them if he keeps his current pace. That may not happen as the season takes its toll, but in the early going, Roch Cholowsky is making a strong case to be the No.1 overall pick.

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Published
Travis Tyler
TRAVIS TYLER

Travis Tyler joined On SI as a writer in January 2026. He has experience contributing to FanSided’s NFL, college football, and college basketball coverage, in addition to freelance work throughout the Dallas–Fort Worth area, including high school, college, and professional sports for the Dallas Express and contributions to the College Football Dawgs, Last Word on Sports/Hockey, and The Dallas Morning News. In addition to his writing, Travis contributes video and podcasting content to Fanatics View and regularly appears as a guest analyst. He is a graduate of Michigan State University and SMU and is an avid Detroit sports fan with a deep knowledge and appreciation of sports history. Follow Travis Tyler on Twitter at @TTyler_Sports.