ORLANDO, Fla. — There have been few instances where Chris Getz could crack a smile since becoming the White Sox’ general manager, as losing has defined much of his tenure.
Tuesday was one of those instances after the team won the 2026 draft lottery and will pick No. 1 for the first time since 1977.
The No. 1 pick has been favorable for Chicago sports teams in recent years. Caleb Williams is progressing as the Bears are in a playoff race in his second season, and the Blackhawks have taken steps forward as Connor Bedard has ascended into a franchise centerpiece.
It’s great for the White Sox that they have the No. 1 pick, but they have to be diligent to ensure they acquire a premier talent to add to this rebuild.
“It’s a significant event for us,” Getz said. “It can’t be understated how important it is. We’ve been hard at work bringing talent into the organization in different ways, and obviously, the amateur draft is an obvious avenue.
To be able to get a chance at the top talent in the Draft, it’s really exciting and just gives us a greater boost.”
The Sox will pick No. 1 for the first time since 1977, when they selected Hall of Famer Harold Baines. Knowing their chances were good of selecting high in the draft, the Sox have started their due diligence on some of the top prospects before MLB’s dead period from Oct. 15 to January 15.
UCLA shortstop Roch Cholowsky is the prize of the draft. Cholowsky batted .353/.480/.710 with a 1.190 OPS last season. He has an intriguing combination of power and contact that makes him an early candidate to be the No. 1 pick in next year’s draft — from July 11-12, 2026, during All-Star Week.
Though Cholowsky is a top contender, the Sox are going to be open-minded throughout the process. High school shortstops Grady Emerson and Jacob Lombard, Alabama shortstop Justin Lebron and Georgia Tech outfielder Drew Burress round out the top five draft prospects, according to MLB.com.
“We spent a lot of time on him in high school,” scouting director Mike Shirley said. “[We] felt like he was worthy of being a high-end pick. We know the kid, know the family, some of that work is done.
“But like I said, there’s multiple players across this great country that are going to answer that bell and try to get their place in line along with Roch. That’s the best thing about the draft, right? You want the players competing for that top spot.”
The Sox were eligible in the lottery after being exempt in 2024 because, as a “payor” club — a team that gives rather than receives revenue — they weren’t allowed to pick in the lottery in back-to-back years.
As free agency picked up with the signings of former Cub Kyle Schwarber to the Phillies and All-Star closer Edwin Diaz to the Dodgers, the Sox remained silent. Getz said the club isn’t thinking about “repurposing” its young talent in a trade.
“We’re still forming, we’re still developing, players are still developing,” Getz said. “Certainly it’s our job to support these guys, but we’re more focused on their continual development more than anything, rather than trying to plug holes with some of our players who can be here for a long time.”
But for one day, Getz and his staff can celebrate in the glow of having won the draft lottery.
“We were penalized a couple years ago so I do feel like this is our time,” Shirley said. “They’re a lot of people starting to feel like, ‘Hey this is going in the right direction, let’s make this our time.’ And we got a lot of work to do.”
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