The White Sox have loaded up on shortstops in recent years, using three of their last five first-round picks on the position. After winning the 2026 draft lottery, they may be poised to add another with the No. 1 overall pick.
The shortstop-heavy approach has been deliberate under Chris Getz, who worked as the team's assistant general manager when the White Sox drafted Colson Montgomery in 2021 and Jacob Gonzalez in 2023. After Rick Hahn was fired in August 2023, Getz took over the front office and used his first draft pick as general manager to take another shortstop, high-school standout Billy Carlson, with the No. 10 pick last year.
When asked about his thought process heading into the draft in an interview with CHSN, Getz said that he values premium positions such as center field, catcher, and shortstop, adding that he “loves shortstops” because of the athleticism and versatility they provide.
“It’s never a problem to have too many good shortstops, I can assure you that,” Getz explained. “We don’t want to get ahead of ourselves, but as we learn more about this draft, obviously, we will take the top talent that’s out there, and from what I’ve heard, what I’m learning this is a very good draft to have the top pick.”
Despite a standout season from Montgomery last year and a pair of other first-round picks in the farm system, Getz looks primed to draft another shortstop with the White Sox first No. 1 overall pick since 1977. UCLA Shortstop Roch Cholowsky is not only the consensus favorite to go first overall, but he is also considered to be a generational talent.
Baseball America calls him "one of the best college shortstops the draft has seen in years," while MLB Pipeline went as far as to say that he could be the best "all-around college shortstop in 20 years."
Cholowsky has the resume to back up the hype. Last season, he connected for 23 homers and drove in 74 RBIs as he helped guide the Bruins to the College World Series. His smooth swing and advanced approach at the plate resulted in an eye-popping .353/.40/.710 slashline. In 66 games last season, he also did not commit an error.
Cholowsky did all of that at just 20 years old, and with another season to continue developing at the college ranks, many believe that he could have a short path to the big leagues once he goes pro.
“Oftentimes, the good ones can move quickly,” Getz said. “You want to make sure that the player, both physically and mentally, can handle the major leagues. There’s a timing component to it, but if the talent is real and they’re ready to go, they can join the major league club. But we’re gonna do our due diligence this upcoming draft.”
Even if the White Sox pass on Cholowsky, the odds are still high they’ll draft a shortstop, as this year’s class is loaded at the position. Other potential candidates include Justin Lebron from Alabama, Grady Emerson from Fort Worth Christian High School, and Jacob Lombard out of Florida’s Gulliver Prep High School.
Winning the draft lottery marks a rare break for the White Sox, who have been mired in mediocrity and misfortune for the better part of the last decade. Now there is hope that the team's rebuilding phase could be over sooner rather than later.
“Last season, there were a lot of moments in which you could see light at the end of the tunnel, quite honestly,” Getz said. “Now it just shines a little bit brighter knowing that you're going to have a chance at the top talent in the draft. Foundationally, we’ve been just so committed to making sound decisions in all areas, all facets of the organization, and now to get rewarded, we're going to remain staying the course.”
