The No. 1 overall pick in last month’s Draft by the White Sox turned in a statement performance in his third professional game — collecting his first pro homer during his first multihit effort while recording five RBIs — to lead High-A Winston-Salem to a 14-7 win over Asheville on Thursday night at Truist Stadium.
It wasn’t a perfect night for the 2026 Golden Spikes finalist, whose costly first error as a pro led to two runs scoring in the first inning. But the mental toughness and maturity that made Cholowsky a sought-after talent was displayed as he recovered quickly from the mistake to turn in his best performance in his fledgling pro career.
COMPLETE WHITE SOX PROSPECT COVERAGE
After making a popout and a groundout in his first two trips to the plate, Cholowsky turned around a 1-0 fastball from right-hander Francisco Frias and rocketed it off the wall in left at 101.8 mph for a two-run double in the fourth, his second two-bagger.
In the next frame, Cholowsky stepped to the plate with two on and saw five pitches from Frias before sending a laser that traveled 366 feet the opposite way to right at 106.5 mph for his first career jack.
Although he didn’t record another knock the rest of the night, the 21-year-old was still showing off his skill set, running out an infield ground ball to beat out what looked like a tailor-made double play in the seventh. And in the ninth, Cholowsky sealed the victory with a smooth play to his right at short that secured the final out.
The Arizona native made his much anticipated debut on Tuesday after spending three years at one of the top baseball programs in the country and showcasing his elite talent for UCLA.
After earning freshman All-American honors for the Bruins in 2024, Cholowsky burst onto the national scene as a sophomore in 2025 — winning the Rawlings Gold Glove award — 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 led to his second consecutive Big Ten Player of the Year award, becoming only the third player in conference history to pick up the honor in consecutive seasons.
Cholowsky climbed to the top of Draft boards after posting a .329/.447/.624 slash line with 52 homers and 41 doubles over 178 games in college. The White Sox made him just the third UCLA player ever selected No. 1 overall at last month’s Draft. The 21-year-old and the club agreed to a record-breaking $10.35 million signing bonus.
“I say this is everything you dream of,” Cholowsky told MLB.com. “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.”
