The Chicago White Sox prioritized power throughout the 2026 MLB Draft, targeting high-upside hitters and pitchers with electric arms.
No team had more eyes on it during the 2026 MLB Draft than the Chicago White Sox.
The White Sox held the No. 1 overall pick and, after a trade on the eve of the draft, the largest bonus pool allotment of any team. That gave them the ability to select the best player in the draft class and the financial freedom to sign the players they coveted most.
Chicago put it all to good use, assembling a draft class that left evaluators like Jim Callis of MLB Pipeline “blown away.”
The White Sox added UCLA shortstop Roch Cholowsky with the first overall selection, brought in some of the best high school bats in the draft class, prioritized college pitching late, and checked off many of their organizational needs. And as all 21 selections came in to round out the 2026 draft class, it became pretty clear that the White Sox had a theme with their picks.
The White Sox were all over power. Power bats and power pitching. Many of the college hitters they targeted are plus athletes with power as their loudest tool, but questions about their ability to make consistent contact.
For the pitchers, there is a lot of velocity and plenty of swing and miss stuff. But some of the arms the White Sox drafted will need to refine their control in order to stick in the starting rotation and have fruitful careers.
Landon Thome and Cole Prosek are two of the best high school bats in the draft. Each of them has questions about his defensive home, but there is no doubt that both of them can hit. Prosek's 18 home runs were the second most of any high school player in the country last year, while Thome has both his hit and power tools rated above average.
Outfielder Alex Weingartner was the club's selection in the sixth round. He's more of an upside swing, and while his bat hasn't consistently translated to games just yet, Weingartner posted three exit velocities of at least 106 mph at the MLB Draft Combine, including a 442 foot home run to center field in a big league park.
Clay Burdette hit 17 home runs with a 1.140 OPS for Xavier in 2026. Jayson Jones is a prospect who Jim Callis said has “at least 70 grade raw power” during the draft broadcast. Matthew Bucciero hit 20 home runs and stole 20 bases at Fairfield, including a home run off first rounder Cameron Flukey. And Vanderbilt’s Braden Holcomb is a 6-foot-5, 245 pound outfielder who is built like a middle linebacker and has serious pop in his bat.
The pitching side of things wasn't much different. Third round pick Joey Volchko has a fastball that touches 101 mph and pairs it with a slider that gives him a high floor as a relief pitcher if things don't work out in the rotation. High school right-handed pitcher Kyle Casteel tops out at 95 mph right now, but he's 6-foot-4 and just starting to fill out his frame. Evaluators believe there is plenty more velocity to come.
Director of scouting Mike Shirley described Oklahoma LHP Cameron Johnson as Chicago's "lottery ticket." He's 6-foot-6 and 255 pounds with a sinker that sits in the upper 90s and features heavy movement. It's really rare to find a big left-hander like that, especially in the 15th round of the draft, with so much potential.
Even Darin Horn has a pretty electric arm. In 2025, Horn led the NCAA in sinker whiff rate and in-zone whiff rate. In 2026, he recorded 12.4 K/9 out of the bullpen for Coastal Carolina.
Over the last few seasons, as the new regime under Chris Getz has been built, the White Sox have definitely taken a step forward in the player development department. Many of their draft picks in 2026 are a reflection of the organization's confidence in that area. You've got your reliable, well-rounded talents who will likely become the highest rated prospects to emerge from this draft class. But Chicago also went out of its way to grab more than a few tooled up athletes who have another level waiting to be unlocked.
Part of that may be a reflection of the team's needs, particularly on the pitching side. The White Sox need some high-leverage power arms, and they've seen how refining a starting pitcher like Sean Burke can transform a rotation. They've also seen how someone like Grant Taylor can anchor a bullpen, even if he isn't being used to his full ceiling as a starting pitcher.
Offensively, the 2026 White Sox have turned a corner in the power department. Part of the reason this team is in first place in the AL Central is its ability to drive the baseball out of the park. Even with Munetaka Murakami missing more than a month of the season, the White Sox are fourth in baseball with 129 home runs at the All Star break.
Dating back to this past offseason, it has become clear that Chicago likes high exit velocities and hitters with bat speed who understand the strike zone, even if those traits come with big swing and miss.
It's hard not to be excited about the 2026 draft class. The White Sox acted with purpose and came away with a number of players who will be making noise in the minor leagues before we know it.
