No. 1 Pick Roch Cholowsky Reportedly Lands Historic MLB Signing Bonus as Part of White Sox Contract

No. 1 overall pick Roch Cholowsky broke an MLB record while still leaving some money on the table.

MLB.com's Jim Callis reported Cholowsky will sign his first contract with the Chicago White Sox, which includes a $10.4 million bonus. That breaks the old mark ($9.3 million) while being less than the slot value of the pick ($11,350,600).

The Washington Nationals saved more cash when they selected prep shortstop Eli Willits to open the 2025 draft. That pick had a slot value of roughly $11.1 million, and Willits wound up getting $8.2 million.

Chicago opted for the safer path when it took Cholowsky over high school prospect Grady Emerson, whom Bleacher Report's Joel Reuter projected to the White Sox in his final mock draft.

Maybe Emerson proves to be the bigger star, but it's easy to see why Cholowsky was the choice.

The UCLA star hit 21 home runs with a .320/.452/.636 slash line as a junior in 2026. On the traditional 20-80 scouting scale, MLB.com gave him grades of 60 for his hit and power tools and a 65 for defense.

At the very least, Cholowsky should have a high floor that allows him to carve out a good MLB career, and his upside is evident from his impressive production at the plate.

The White Sox already have a young shortstop in Colson Montgomery who's doing enough to think he can be part of their long-term foundation. Once Cholowsky has gotten enough seasoning in the minors, Chicago won't hesitate to bring him to the big leagues and figure out a way to fit him into the lineup.