White Sox Fans Receive Warning From ESPN About No. 1 Pick in MLB Draft
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The Chicago White Sox have a difficult decision to make in July regarding the No. 1 pick.
And it isn't getting any easier.
For months, it seemed that UCLA shortstop Roch Cholowsky was the unanimous selection. He had been compared to former Colorado Rockies star shortstop Troy Tulowitzki and seemed destined to be playing on the Southside. However, Texas prep shortstop Grady Emerson's stock is rising, leading to a difficult decision ahead.
ESPN's Kiley McDaniel detailed this in his latest mock draft, suggesting that White Sox fans should be more open-minded.
"The margin for error for Cholowsky is dropping to where this might just be a 50/50 coin flip," McDaniel wrote. "There's a lot of industry buzz that Grady Emerson is preferred by some key White Sox evaluators."
With Cholowsky and No. 1 UCLA's recent elimination from the College World Series, it's possible this decision could get even closer with Cholowsky's stock falling. To be sure, McDaniel still chooses Cholowsky to go to Chicago in his mock, but he makes it known that White Sox fans need to realize how close this pick truly is.
"Seriously, White Sox fans, prepare yourselves mentally that this could happen and don't just assume it's the wrong pick because it's the less famous name," McDaniel wrote.
Why Should Fans Listen?
McDaniel has it right.
White Sox fans are largely divided on who the No. 1 selection should be. It has gotten to the point where a large contingent of fans would be outraged if Cholowsky wasn't the pick.
As McDaniel said, this shouldn't be the case.
Emerson is viewed by many as having the highest upside in the entire draft class. He has been compared to Kansas CIty Royals and former Texas prep shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. on multiple occasions.
I think White Sox fans would be quite happy with that!
The main argument between the two currently is their proximity to the majors. Cholowsky at 21 would be the obvious choice to make it to the show quicker. However, don't count Emerson out simply because of his age.
This year alone, we've seen Pittsburgh Pirates shortstop Konnor Griffin and Detroit Tigers infielder Kevin McGonigle zoom through the minor league system. So, theoretically, Emerson could end up the same as the top prep player in this year's draft.
While Cholowsky is the more polished player at this stage and quite possibly the safer option, Emerson's upside cannot be ignored. If scouting director Mike Shirley decides that Emerson is the pick, there shouldn't be as much outrage as there probably will be. In recent years, Chicago has added Colson Montgomery, Garrett Crochet, Grant Taylor, Sam Antonacci, Noah Schultz, and other highly-regarded prospects to the fold. It's a route they have gone before.
Nevertheless, this is a franchise-altering pick for Chicago. Fans should have some level of trust in the front office that has brought their team back into national relevance. Remember when the White Sox lost 121 games two years ago? Those times are likely over, thanks to a Chicago front office that now has the White Sox playing like a playoff team.
Whoever the pick is, fans will have a reason to be optimistic about the future. Is it most likely to be Roch Cholowsky at this point? Sure, and that will be an easy decision to root for. But if it's Emerson, fans shouldn't be too quick to raise the red flag.
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Matthew Singer is a contributor for White Sox on SI. Before joining SI in 2026, he worked for Heavy as an MLB contributor and Cubs on SI. Singer has a master's degree in sports journalism from the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University. He loves sports more than anything in the world.