White Sox's Roch Cholowsky Is Already Showcasing His Potential in High-A

He was drafted with the No. 1 pick less than a month ago

Jul 12, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago White Sox number one draft pick Roch Cholowsky signs autographs before the team’s game against the Athletics at Rate Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Chicago White Sox shortstop prospect Roch Cholowsky recently made his professional debut after being selected with the first-overall pick in last month's draft. And so far, the 21-year-old has wasted no time putting his talents on display in the minors.

Cholowsky hit the first home run of his pro career on Thursday while playing for the High-A Winston-Salem Dash. In the fifth inning of his third game in the minors, the righty-swinging infielder drilled a 1-2 pitch to the opposite field for a three-run homer in the Dash's 14-7 victory over the Asheville Tourists, the High-A affiliate of the Houston Astros. The young shortstop also crushed a double to left field in the fourth inning and finished Thursday's game 2-for-6 with five RBIs.

While it's obviously still very early in his career, many White Sox fans will undoubtedly be encouraged to see Cholowsky already driving the ball to all parts of the field. As the No. 1 pick in the 2026 MLB Draft, though, all eyes will be on the top prospect at the start of his minor league journey.

Roch Cholowsky is just getting started in the minors

Jun 14, 2025; Omaha, Neb, USA; UCLA Bruins shortstop Roch Cholowsky (1) fields a ground ball against the Murray State Racers during the ninth inning at Charles Schwab Field. Mandatory Credit: Steven Branscombe-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Through the first three games of his professional career, Cholowsky is 3-for-14 with one homer and seven RBIs. After going 0-for-4 in his first game in the minors, the 21-year-old picked up his first hit on Wednesday with a two-run double up the middle. He then followed that up with his first long ball and multi-hit game on Thursday.

Cholowsky was the first player to hear his name called during the 2026 MLB Draft following a standout career at UCLA. In three seasons with the Bruins, the young infielder had a .329 batting average, a .448 on-base percentage, and a 1.072 OPS with 52 home runs and 167 RBIs in 178 games. He was also a finalist for the 2026 Golden Spikes Award and was named the Big Ten Conference Baseball Player of the Year each of the last two seasons. Those accolades and numbers led to last month's No. 1 overall pick reportedly receiving a $10.35 million signing bonus, the largest in MLB draft history.

With the White Sox also in first place in the American League Central, there's a lot for Chicago fans to be excited about right now. But for Cholowsky, the top prospect will look to get his feet wet in the minors this year before his first full season in 2027.