Roch Cholowsky is Already Making It Feel Like the White Sox Struck Gold

The Chicago White Sox can rest easy in the lead up to the MLB Draft.

If their choice with the No. 1 overall pick this July wasn't already obvious, it's become exactly that over the last week. UCLA standout infielder Roch Cholowosky has been viewed as the likely top pick for the last year-plus. A true five-tool prospect, he was the top player in college baseball in 2025 and appears to be well on his way to achieving that title again.

Indeed, Cholowosky could not have asked for a better start to the season. The 20-year-old has been on a ridiculous tear over his first seven games, starting the year with a slash line of .393/.486/1.143 for the No. 1-seeded Bruins. UC San Diego, Tulane, and TCU have each failed to keep him off the bases, and he already has three multi-RBI performances on the game log.

Speaking of which, Cholowksy's power has been wreaking havoc with his power. Thanks to another blast against TCU on Sunday, he is already up to six homers. The most recent long ball traveled straight back over the center field wall and apparently came off the bat at 103 mph.

Roch Cholowsky bops his 6th HR off the batter's eye. pic.twitter.com/JRV5pzim5U
— FutureSox (@FutureSox) February 22, 2026

Cholowsky already has two multi-homer games this season, which included a ridiculous 5 RBI night against TCU in the series opener last week. He started that performance with a grand slam in the bottom of the second inning.

It was a no-doubter sent high into left field. That's superstar stuff.

ROCH CHOLOWSKY GRAND SLAM 🚀

MLB's No. 1 Draft prospect demolishes his 4th homer in just 5 games this year.

(📹: @UCLABaseball)pic.twitter.com/enOhhd30Qj
— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) February 21, 2026

In his 66 games last season, Cholowksy posted 23 homers to finish Top 5 in college baseball. While there are a lot of games left to play, there is no question that he looks well on his way toward surpassing that mark this season. His power has seemingly taken another step in the right direction, as has his plate discipline. Cholowsky has only struck out four times in his 28 at-bats so far. He's coming into this year after recording only a 9.3 strikeout rate in 2025.

The sheer dominance at the plate is what will continue to stand out most, but Cholowsky's fielding can not be ignored. The reason he truly feels like a potentially franchise-altering addition is because of what he can offer both in the batter's box and on the diamond. A strong frame with smooth athleticism and an innate feel, Cholowsky has the potential to be a real difference-maker at shortstop. It's a big reason why Troy Tulowitzki has come up time and again as the big league comparison.

To be sure, Cholowsky deserves to be evaluated independently. The comparison game can always get a little tricky, as well as establish some potentially unrealistic expectations. Nevertheless, the upside Cholowksy offers is undeniable, and the fact he has started the year this hot underscores that.

Living up to the hype is an increasingly challenging thing to do, but it has looked downright effortless for the Bruins star thus far. For a White Sox franchise that has been spinning its wheels for years, effortless is a quality they could surely use.