White Sox Win 2026 Draft Lottery, Pick First Overall

The Chicago White Sox won the first overall pick in the 2026 Major League Baseball draft by securing victory in the draft lottery on Tuesday at the winter meetings in Orlando, Florida. The White Sox entered the lottery with a 27.7% chance at the selection, the best odds, but the outcome was not guaranteed.

General manager Chris Getz expressed the significance of this moment, stating, 'It's a significant, significant event for us, and it can't be overstated how important it is.' The White Sox were represented by Hall of Famer Harold Baines, who was the top overall pick in 1977 and spoke about the excitement of being part of the event.

In the draft order, the White Sox will pick first, followed by the Tampa Bay Rays, Minnesota Twins, and others. A key candidate for the first pick is UCLA shortstop Roch Cholowsky, who had an impressive season hitting .353 with 23 homers and 74 RBIs in 66 games.

Getz emphasized the importance of strategic drafting in rebuilding the franchise, stating, 'We're busy -- good busy,' and looked forward to evaluating top talent. Other notable results from the lottery included the Kansas City Royals jumping from the 13th pick to the 6th and the San Francisco Giants moving from 12th to 4th, while the New York Mets fell to the 27th pick after a challenging day.