White Sox hold No. 1 pick in 2026 MLB Draft: What to know

Why it matters: The pick gives the White Sox its best opportunity in decades to add a potential star without giving up prospects or signing free agents.

Flashback: The league held its draft lottery in December and the White Sox were awarded the first pick for the first time since the team took Hall of Famer Harold Baines in 1977.

The intrigue: Most mock drafts have narrowed the White Sox's decision to three players: UCLA shortstop Roch Cholowsky, Texas prep shortstop Grady Emerson and Georgia Tech catcher Vahn Lackey.

• Cholowsky is widely considered one of the best college baseball players in the country.

State of play: Don't expect to see whoever the Sox pick at The Rate this summer. Even elite draft picks typically spend at least a year developing in the minors before reaching the majors.

Zoom in: General Manager Chris Getz is proving to be a shrewd front office leader as his team closes out the first half of the season in first place in the AL Central.

• Getz, along with Sox fans, endured a few painful seasons on the South Side. But since 2024, he's hired young manager Will Venable, overseen the development of prospects like Colson Montgomery, traded for All-Star Miguel Vargas and signed Japanese star Munetaka Murakami as a rookie free agent.

The bottom line: Whoever the Sox choose will become one of the organization's most important building blocks.

Of note: The Cubs will select 23rd in the first round.

What to watch for: The MLB Draft will air on Peacock, starting at noon Saturday.