Did Chris Getz Just Spoil What the White Sox Are Doing with the No. 1 Pick?

Of all the years to land the No. 1 overall pick in the MLB Draft, the Chicago White Sox appear to have hit it just right.

The 2026 draft class is loaded with high-end talent. There are several players who would be legitimate candidates to go first overall in almost any other year. Picking at the very top all but guarantees that an organization is adding a premier prospect — the type of player who can become a cornerstone of the franchise.

And above the rest sits UCLA shortstop Roch Cholowsky.

Cholowsky is already being talked about as the best college shortstop prospect of the last 20 years. He’s a true do-it-all player with no obvious holes in his game — a strong defender at shortstop, an exceptional hitter, and someone who can drive the ball with authority to all fields.

With Cholowsky, you’re getting about as close to a sure thing as the draft can offer.

He’s the type of player who could completely reshape the White Sox rebuild — someone capable of rocketing through the minor leagues and reaching Chicago within a year of being drafted.

And yes, he still has to play out his junior season at UCLA before any of this becomes reality. That point has been made plenty within the White Sox community. Just because Chicago holds the top pick doesn’t mean they’re guaranteed to select him.

Maybe the front office prefers another player. Maybe another team makes an aggressive signing-bonus push. Bonus pool money can change plans in a hurry.

All of that is possible.

But after listening to GM Chris Getz speak publicly following the draft lottery, it’s hard to get the sense that the White Sox are willing to let Cholowsky slip away. In fact, Getz may have already tipped his hand.

During an interview with Chuck Garfien on the White Sox Podcast, Getz discussed the signing of Munetaka Murakami and the broader direction of the organization. That included talking about what the team is building in the farm system — and the No. 1 overall pick that’s now part of that vision.

And in doing so, Getz appeared to catch himself mid-thought.

Garfien asked Getz what his message was to Murakami about signing with a team that has lost more than 100 games in three consecutive seasons — a résumé that could easily scare off a premium free agent.

“The great thing is it’s becoming easier,” Getz said. “Before, it was, ‘This is what we’re planning to do. This is the vision.’ And although that remains a big part of every conversation we have, we have more tangible evidence now. We are pointing to things. We’ve got Roch— … you know, we’ve got the No. 1 pick for next year.”

Getz cut himself off — but not quite fast enough.

Barring something unforeseen, the White Sox GM may have already told everyone which direction the organization plans to go in the draft. There’s no need for fans to overthink it.

The White Sox are already building their future with Roch Cholowsky very much in mind.