White Sox News: Is Roch Cholowsky the Best Fit for the White Sox?

For the first time since 1977, the White Sox have the first overall draft pick in the summer draft, and the timing couldn’t be more favorable.

In a top-heavy draft, Chicago doesn’t have to guess who will fall to them. After wisely selecting future Hall-of-Famer Harold Baines in 1977, the Sox are hoping to make another profitable decision. The consensus among scouts and all major sports news outlets is that UCLA’s shortstop Roch Cholowsky is the top pick of the upcoming draft.

But is Cholowsky the best choice for Chicago?

Named Baseball America 2025 College Baseball Player of the Year, on paper Cholowsky is the complete package. Cholowsky earned plus grades in four of the five performance categories, with speed being his only deficit, scoring 65 overall, and is far more talented than glove-first shortstop and White Sox 2025 first-rounder Billy Carlson. Cholowsky hit .353/.480/.710 23 while crushing 23 home runs and drawing 45 walks in 66 games last season, really showcasing his bat-on-ball ability, power and plate discipline skills. Additionally, his extra reps as a college player make him a less risky pick than Grady Emerson, a shortstop from Fort Worth Christian High School who is projected to go second overall in the draft.

Cholowitzki has been compared to Troy Tulowitzki, who was ranked seventh by the Rockies in 2005. Tulowitzki was also known for his elite defense and power potential in college as a five-tool player, and his meteoric rise through the minors and strong early career proved that Colorado picked the right man. Tulowitzki had a modest start to his career and struggled to generate power against big league pitchers, batting .240 in 2006 and batting just .292. But he impressed in 2007 while playing almost the entire season. Tulowitzki’s impressive .291/.359/.479 slash line and 24 home runs earned him second place in the NL Rookie of the Year voting. Although he finished no better than a borderline Hall-of-Famer, Tulowitzki firmly established himself as a member of the Hall of Very Good – no small feat.

The comparison of Cholowsky to Tulowitzki is a positive sign, and it is possible that Cholowsky could follow a similar developmental trajectory as Tulowitzki. For these two reasons alone, Cholowsky is a safe bet.

One weakness Josh Nelson of Sox Machine Cholowsky’s struggles are observed late in the season, especially against non-Big Ten pitching. While his disappointing performances against higher caliber weapons are concerning and can be partially attributed to late-season fatigue, having Ryan Fuller as the Sox’ hitting director should help alleviate those concerns.

Fuller has a proven track record of developing hitters, most notably Adley Rutschman, during his various coaching positions in Baltimore’s minor and major league systems. From Rutschman’s draft to MLB All-Star and Silver Slugger winner, the catcher had Fuller with him as an instrumental guide through the minors and into his early Major League years. Fuller’s data-driven approach, emphasis on making smart swing decisions and focus on incremental improvements (as discussed on a MASN Orioles podcast in 2023) have enabled Rutschman to achieve lasting success. Knowing that Fuller is capable of developing a player with a similar character scouting report and figures as Cholowsky’s success and translating minor league success to the majors are two more indicators that make drafting Cholowsky ideal.

Given Cholowsky’s raw talent and Chicago’s competent hitting director, the Sox should have no doubts about selecting Cholowsky. While the Sox still need to keep a close eye on his junior year and explore other projected Top 5 picks, Chicago fans should have confidence in Cholowsky’s fit and future with the South Siders.