New Delhi, July 13 -- CHICAGO - The crowd at Rate Field went quiet for a moment when the PA announcer read the name, then broke into applause. Roch Cholowsky, 21, raised his arms, the kind of moment every player imagines from the time they first pick up a bat. The Chicago White Sox had made him the first player selected in the 2026 MLB Draft, choosing the UCLA shortstop with a pick that is both a bet on talent and a statement about where the franchise believes it is heading.

"It's pretty surreal," Cholowsky said after Saturday's ceremony at Rate Field, where the announcement came before the White Sox's game against the Oakland Athletics. "It's something that everyone dreams of. Hearing my name called today is something I'll always have w...