White Sox win 2026 MLB draft lottery
ORLANDO, Fla. — One way to get premier talent is through the draft, and the White Sox will get that chance to select a blue-chip talent after winning the 2026 MLB Draft lottery.
The Sox will pick No. 1 for the first time since 1977, when they selected Hall of Famer Harold Baines.
Most talent evaluators have said that the depth of the 2026 MLB Draft won't be as great as last year's. but the top of the draft is enticing.
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 make him an early candidate to be the No. 1 pick in next year's draft.
The draft will be July 11-12, 2026, during All-Star Week.
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.