Insider Believes Elite Prospect Roch Cholowsky Could Fall to the Twins

The 2026 MLB Draft is July 11-12 in Philadelphia, and the Twins hold the No. 3 overall pick.

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

If Roch Cholowsky falls to the Twins, it could be one heckuva gift from the baseball gods.

Cholowsky, long considered the likely No. 1 pick in the upcoming MLB Draft, has fallen to Minnesota with the No. 3 pick in Keith Law's newest mock draft for The Athletic. Cholowsky has combined to hit for a .337 batting average with 44 homers, 29 doubles, and 134 RBIs over the last two seasons at UCLA.

"This mock draft is based on what I’ve heard from industry sources, as well as my understanding of how different teams value players and who might fit their preferred philosophies," Law wrote.

The esteemed MLB insider has the White Sox taking Georgia Tech catcher Vahn Lackey with the first pick, followed by the Tampa Bay Rays taking Kentucky shortstop Tyler Bell with the No. 2 pick. That would be a stunning start to the draft, as most mocks have Cholowsky, the five-tool shortstop, and Texas high school shortstop Grady Emerson going 1-2.

"I’m assuming the Twins take the obvious pick," Law wrote about the Twins taking Cholowsky in his mock, "but I have heard that their internal model has Drew Burress at or near the top, and if 1-2 were Cholowsky and Vahn Lackey, then Burress might be the pick."

Burress is a 21-year-old outfielder from Georgia Tech who has smashed 60 homers in three seasons of college baseball.

Cholowsky is a two-time Big Ten Player of the Year, and he's a finalist for college baseball's Golden Spikes Award. He led the Big Ten in homers (21), runs (73), total bases (147), and hit-by-pitches (25). He also posted a .965 fielding percentage while starting 60 games at shortstop.

Just because Law has good sources doesn't mean he's always right. In the 2023 draft, when the Twins held the No. 5 overall pick, Law didn't think Minnesota would take outfielder Walker Jenkins. On draft day, Law updated his mock draft and wrote this about the Twins:

"Several sources have told me that if Crews and Langford are gone, Gonzalez is the top player in the Twins’ draft model and he’d be the pick over the high schoolers, although they’re more likely to take Clark than Jenkins if either gets to this pick."

As it turned out, Paul Skenes and Dylan Crews, teammates at LSU, were the first two picks in the draft, followed by high school outfielder Max Clark and Florida outfielder Wyatt Langford. The Twins took Jenkins, while Jacob Gonzalez, a shortstop from Mississippi, didn't get picked until the White Sox called his name with the 15th selection.

The Twins made the right decision, as Jenkins, albeit while battling injuries, has advanced to Triple-A and flashed big-time hitting potential, while Rodriguez is rated as Chicago's No. 24 prospect by MLB Pipeline, with a scouting report that criticizes him for too much "soft contact" and a defensive approach at the plate.

Gonzalez made his MLB debut on May 31 against the Tigers, and in nine games so far, he's hitting .308 with eight hits (one homer, seven singles) in 26 at-bats.

Minnesota certainly doesn't need another high-end shortstop prospect since Kaelen Culpepper is on the verge of breaking through the big leagues, but Cholowsky would be an absolute steal in the draft.