As the Chicago White Sox enjoy a season during which they’re (somewhat surprisingly) competing for the top spot in the American League Central, MLB draft weekend is all about looking toward the future.
The Southsiders hold the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 MLB Draft, with several compelling options in the top spot. As Munetaka Murakami undergoes a rehab assignment to return soon, the White Sox are faced with a decision: Find a player who can try to contribute soon, or shore up the farm system (which is middling) long term?
There are three players whose names are regularly appearing on the radar: UCLA shortstop Roch Cholowsky, long thought to be the consensus No. 1 player in this class. Georgia Tech catcher Vahn Lackey, who rocketed up leaderboards anchoring a remarkably potent Yellow Jacket lineup. And Texas high school shortstop Grady Emerson, who has emerged as a possible under-slot option at 1-1.
The White Sox, unsurprisingly, are playing their options close to the vest. General manager Chris Getz has said almost nothing of substance regarding whom Chicago is targeting, instead talking about the value of having options and the ability to find a high-impact player.
“There’s been plenty drafts through the years where, OK, are we gonna go this pathway?” Getz said in December 2025 after the White Sox got No. 1 overall. “You focused on perhaps more the spending throughout the draft just because you feel like the talent isn’t so extreme at the top. But in this case, it looks like we got a chance to get a player that is big-time impactful. So, super excited.”
That’s quite a few words to say absolutely nothing of real value. Maybe the White Sox will shock the world and take UC Santa Barbara’s Jackson Flora to bolster their pitching ranks. Or take an out of left field prospect in prep shortstop Jacob Lombard. But, operating under the assumption Chicago goes with one of the top three players most closely tied to them, here’s a look at a case for Cholowsky, Lackey and Emerson, respectively.
Chicago White Sox No. 1 overall pick options
Roch Cholowsky – UCLA SS
UCLA shortstop Roch Cholowsky (1) throws to first base against Arkansas during the 2025 College World Series at Charles Schwab Field.
Coming into the 2026 college baseball season, no one seemed like more of a slam dunk No. 1 overall pick than Cholowsky. However, as the college baseball year drove on, some questions arose about Cholowsky’s ceiling. He doesn’t have the elite physical tools of Bobby Witt Jr. and his bat, while possessing solid pop, isn’t going to be a 30-plus home run boon like Marcus Semien’s in his prime. Cholowsky, however, might have the benefit of time on his side. He slashed .320/.452/.636 with 21 home runs as a senior with the Bruins, and No. 4 prospect Billy Carlson is still years off from debuting while No. 1 Caleb Bonemer is shaping up to be more of a third baseman than a shortstop. The White Sox have had a shortstop problem since the precipitous falloff of Tim Anderson, and though Colson Montgomery has taken great gains in addressing that issue, you can never have enough infielders in the farm.
Vahn Lackey – Georgia Tech C
Georgia Tech catcher Vahn Lackey follows through on a single against Murray State during a game in Oxford, Mississippi on May 31, 2025.
There are few things better for a farm system than an eminently coachable player, and Vahn Lackey saw massive gains as the Georgia Tech backstop every season in college. His jump from a sophomore to a junior was massive. Lackey went from a .921 OPS in 2025 to 1.291 in 2026, and jumped from six to 20 home runs. While Georgia Tech’s College World Series aspirations were dashed by an Oklahoma team that ended up having destiny on its side, Lackey anchored one of college baseball’s most potent lineups. The biggest question around Lackey is what impact catching will have on his body and how long he’ll be behind the plate, but you’d be hard-pressed to find a more well-rounded player in this year’s draft.
Grady Emerson – Texas prep SS
Grady Emerson takes a big swing during the 2025 High School Home Run Derby at Truist Park in Atlanta on July 14, 2025.
Grady Emerson didn’t come from out of nowhere. He’s been slated as a top-five pick for a time, but it’s fair to wonder how the Texas prep shortstop is suddenly being bandied about for the No. 1 overall pick. In short: There’s always a prep player who generates hype at this point, and Emerson appears to have a higher ceiling than Cholowsky (as prep players often do vs college players). Indeed, as Cholowsky plateaued, Emerson continued to climb draft boards. Drafting Emerson could give the White Sox more wiggle room with their $17,592,100 bonus pool, while also giving them yet another valuable player in the farm system. After the Nationals took Eli Willits out of Oklahoma prep last year, picking Emerson would signify a trend in how MLB teams are approaching the draft: Find the potential, and cultivate it from within the org.
Ultimately, the White Sox aren’t going to consider things like positional need or where their top prospects are in the field. Those types of things sort themselves out over time. But Cholowsky-Lackey-Emerson pose an interesting dilemma: Draft for the near future, draft for positional value, or draft a seed to nourish? All three players have high upside. The difference lies in just how high that upside is, and the time it will take to achieve it.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Who will White Sox pick No. 1 in 2026 MLB Draft? A case for three top options
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