For Roch Cholowsky, a dream that began years ago became a reality on Tuesday night.
Less than a month after hearing his name called first overall by the White Sox in the 2026 MLB Draft, the club’s newest phenom made his professional debut for High-A Winston-Salem, which dropped a 5-2 extra-inning decision to visiting Asheville at Truist Stadium.
Batting second in the Dash lineup, Cholowsky walked during an otherwise uneventful game with the bat, going hitless in five plate appearances. The 21-year-old handled all four of his chances at shortstop flawlessly.
After ending the top of the first inning with his first chance in the field, Cholowsky went down swinging in his first at-bat. He reached on a fielder’s choice in his second plate appearance, grounding a ball up the middle that forced Ely Brown (CWS No. 26) at second.
COMPLETE WHITE SOX PROSPECT COVERAGE
It was a much-anticipated debut for the Arizona native, who carries the weight of expectations that come with being the No. 1 overall pick, but also the résumé of a talent who has spent the past three years at one of the most prestigious baseball programs living up to a lofty reputation.
After earning freshman All-American recognition for UCLA in 2024, Cholowsky burst onto the national scene as a sophomore in 2025 and followed that up with an equally impressive junior campaign.
The 6-foot-2, 201-pounder started all 60 games at shortstop for the Bruins and slashed .320/.452/.636 with 21 homers, 73 runs and 60 RBIs. The performance earned him his second consecutive Big Ten Player of the Year award, only the third player in conference history to pick up the honor in consecutive seasons.
The top-line offensive and defensive tools made Cholowsky one of the most coveted players in the Draft. The only question was how high he’d go. The White Sox ended the suspense immediately, making him the third UCLA player ever selected No. 1 overall. Cholowsky and the club agreed to a record-breaking $10.35 million signing bonus.
Now the numbers that matter most will be the ones he produces as a professional.
Cholowsky spent the weeks following the Draft taking part in a White Sox development program in Charlotte and Arizona that included Bridge League games and his first unofficial pro homer.
“I’ve taken a lot of big strides just in the last couple of weeks,” Cholowsky told MLB.com. “Being able to see the output on the field is pretty cool. I’m excited to carry those at-bats with me.
“I say this is everything you dream of. But there’s a lot of stuff I dreamt of — going to college, getting drafted and now playing professional baseball. It’s been one big dream. Being able to live it, it’s a lot of excitement. … I can’t wait to get started.”
On Tuesday, 21 years of preparation gave way to the real thing. Cholowsky’s journey toward the Windy City officially got underway.
