4 Takeaways From First Round of 2026 MLB Draft, Including White Sox's No. 1 Pick

The 2026 MLB draft officially kicked off on Saturday, giving plenty of young players a chance to live out their childhood dreams.

In the lead-up to the draft, many fans were curious to find out who the Chicago White Sox would select with the first overall pick. But there were also several other interesting storylines to follow. Here are a few major highlights from the first round of the 2026 MLB draft.

White Sox get their guy at No. 1

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 | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Heading into the draft, the White Sox narrowed down their targets for the No. 1 pick to three names. In the end, they selected UCLA shortstop Roch Cholowsky, one of the most highly touted prospects in the 2026 draft class.

Cholowsky enjoyed a productive college career with the UCLA Bruins, being named the Big Ten Conference Baseball Player of the Year each of the last two seasons and a finalist for the 2026 Golden Spikes Award, which is given to the best amateur player in the country. Now, the 21-year-old is expected to become a big part of Chicago's future, and several fans will be interested to see how quickly he climbs through the minors.

Lack of pitchers chosen at the top of the first round

UC Santa Barbara Gauchos right-handed pitcher Jackson Flora (2) pitches during the game against the Southern Miss Golden Eagles at Pete Taylor Park in Hattiesburg, Miss., on Friday, Feb. 13, 2026. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Somewhat surprisingly, only one pitcher was chosen in the first 10 picks of the 2026 MLB draft. The San Francisco Giants selected UC Santa Barbara right-hander Jackson Flora at No. 4. The 21-year-old from California was widely viewed as the top pitching prospect in this year's draft.

The Los Angeles Angels drafted Jared Grindlinger, a two-way player out of high school, with the 12th pick. While the Angels announced the 17-year-old as an outfielder, he may also see time as a left-handed pitcher at some point in his career. But even if Grindlinger is counted as a pitcher, that'd mean only two hurlers were chosen through the first 15 picks in the draft.

Georgia Tech teammates join the record books

The Minnesota Twins drafted Georgia Tech catcher Vahn Lackey at No. 3. Georgia Tech outfielder Drew Burress then went to the Athletics with the eighth overall pick.

As a result, Lackey and Burress became the 15th set of teammates to hear their names called within the first 10 picks of the same draft, according to MLB Pipeline.

A couple of familiar last names were announced

Hall of Famer Jim Thome — Aug 18, 2018; Cleveland, OH, USA; Former Indians player Jim Thome runs the bases with his son Landon during Thome's uniform number retirement ceremony at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports | USA TODAY Sports

Plenty of White Sox fans were obviously focused on the team's top pick in this draft. But Chicago also made some noise at No. 34 by selecting high school shortstop Landon Thome, the son of Hall of Famer Jim Thome.

Earlier in the first round, high school shortstop Jacob Lombard was the 14th overall pick by the Miami Marlins. He's the younger brother of the New York Yankees' No. 1 prospect, George Lombard Jr., who was the 26th pick in 2023. As the higher draft pick, the Marlins' newest prospect now has some bragging rights over his older brother.

Add us as a preferred source on Google