3 hours ago, caulfield12 said:

Public posturing to see if they can wrangle savings out of their top pick by creating the "fake out" impression they're seriously considering Emerson instead?

Any 4D chess with the Sox just scares the hell out of me thinking they will only outsmart themselves and end up with two decent players while yet another team ends up with a superstar.

Saw it happen once already with Kolek and Aiken.

Ofc in the end Houston eventually won that one in the following draft.

3 hours ago, southsider2k5 said:

My thought has always been that the tiebreaker to the Sox would be how fast they could move through the system, and then bonus asking price. I have to imagine that the Sox see Roch on a Gordon Beckham kind of timeline, and with the desire to try to rescue the fanbase, that would come into play. If people really think Emerson could be under two seasons away, I wonder if that factors in the other way if his ask is appreciably different from Roch's.

Here's another wrinkle. Casey Wasserman represents Cholowsky and Emerson so he likely breeaks the bonus record at both spots regardless. I don't see a massive savings for Emerson with the Rays slot being worth $10.5 million.

1 hour ago, Y2Jimmy0 said:

Here's another wrinkle. Casey Wasserman represents Cholowsky and Emerson so he likely breeaks the bonus record at both spots regardless. I don't see a massive savings for Emerson with the Rays slot being worth $10.5 million.

Resignation from Talent Agency

Amid the fallout from the release of the Epstein files, Wasserman resigned from his namesake talent agency, which is now being rebranded as “The Team” and is in the process of being sold. This decision followed the departure of several high-profile clients, including Chappell Roan, Abby Wambach, and Orville Peck, who severed ties due to ethical concerns. Wasserman has apologized for his past correspondence with Maxwell and emphasized that he never had a personal or business relationship with Epstein.

Whoever breaks from him first goes to the Sox....joking, but pretty sure some of his mlb clients have already jumped ship.

If they pick Emerson 1-1, what makes anyone think he will move through the system quickly? They are reluctant to play high school draftees in year 1 after being drafted, ala Carlson.

White Sox 5 Round Mock for FutureSox: https://www.futuresox.net/2026/04/18/chicago-white-sox-2026-5-round-mock-d/

22 minutes ago, Y2Jimmy0 said:

White Sox 5 Round Mock for FutureSox: https://www.futuresox.net/2026/04/18/chicago-white-sox-2026-5-round-mock-d/

Love that outcome. Would hate to root for anything out of Notre Dame though. 🙃

11 hours ago, DirtySox said:

Love that outcome. Would hate to root for anything out of Notre Dame though. 🙃

Still upset by Samardzija?

. Roch Cholowsky matched him by reaching four times as well, going 1-for-2 with two hit-by-pitches and a walk

Vs. Minnesota Sat, 6-4 comeback win

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7065158/2026/02/23/mlb-draft-scouting-grady-emerson/

Our friend Joe Doyle has his Mock 2.0 out. Will share the top 5.

https://overslotbaseball.com/mock-drafts/mlb-draft-mock-draft-2/

Less than three months until the 2026 Draft is underway and the Chicago White Sox are officially on the clock.

Roch Cholowsky remains the No. 1 pick in this mock draft, however there are several players near the top of the board being scouted heavily by the White Sox. Probably just due diligence, but Cholowsky going at the very top doesn't seem set in stone. There are folks in the industry who view Georgia Tech catcher Vahn Lackey as not only the best player in the class, but one of the top three college catching prospects ever available in any draft -- his reviews in some circles are that glowing.

Grady Emerson remains the top high schooler off the board in this scenario, reinforced by a heater he's gone on in the second half of his season. Jacob Lombard continues to get effusive reports from those that have been in to see him. Lombard (and most Florida high school prospects) will see his season end in about a week.

This class feels particularly devoid of infield talent both on the high school and college side. It's made for a difficult evaluation cycle for some teams that are facing the reality they'll likely have to zig from their conventional approach in the draft toward something more nuanced in 2026.

It's an interesting class that lacks the perceived tiers of years past. There's certainly a top three in this class, but behind those names, it's presently more of a crapshoot.

SS Roch Cholowsky to Chicago White Sox

Cholowsky remains the overwhelming favorite to go No. 1 overall among folks in the industry. For what it's worth, the White Sox have been scouting Grady Emerson, Justin Lebron and Jacob Lombard very, very thoroughly over the course of the last handful of weeks. It's almost certainly the team doing its due diligence, as well as providing negotiation leverage options. Beyond the first overall pick, Chicago seems mighty interested in several high school prospects with their second pick. They've been stuffed in at Coleman Borthwick, Landon Thome and Blake Bryant games at different points in the spring, however most teams are casting a wide net this time of year. Still, the team's emphasis on seeing the high school talent in droves can help suggest the direction they may hope to go in July.

2.) Rays - Vahn Lackey

3.) Twins - Grady Emerson

4.) Giants - Jacob Lombard

5.) Pirates - Eric Booth Jr.

Edited April 20Apr 20 by DirtySox

Tacking on the BA scouting reports for the new names that were mentioned with the White Sox.

31. Coleman Borthwick

RHP

Ht: 6'6" | Wt: 255 | B-T: R-R

School: South Walton HS, Santa Rosa Beach, Fla. Committed/Drafted: Auburn. Age At Draft: 18.2

Borthwick is an extra-large righthander with a 6-foot-6, 255-pound frame and a lively, power fastball that’s been up to 98 mph. He is more than just a physically-mature pitcher for his age overpowering hitters, however, as he has a sound delivery with efficient arm action while being a surprisingly athletic for a player his size, allowing him to repeat his delivery consistently to be a prolific strike-thrower from his low three-quarters slot. Borthwick can carve through lineups with his ability to command a high-octane fastball for his age, but he can also snap off a sharp, tight slider in the mid 80s that he shows feel to spin and has plus potential. Borthwick has a mid-80s changeup but hasn’t needed to use it much yet. He’s a two-way player with big power as well—he excelled on both sides of the ball with Team USA’s 18U team in 2025—but his future in pro ball right now looks brightest on the mound. Borthwick is committed to Auburn but has first-round potential.

50. Blake Bryant

RHP

Ht: 6'5" | Wt: 180 | B-T: R-R

School: Citizens Christian Academy, Douglas, Ga. Committed/Drafted: Clemson. Age At Draft: 18.9

Bryant is an extremely tall, skinny pitcher at 6-foot-5, 180 pounds with excellent arm speed that has allowed him to sit in the low 90s and touch 96 mph. There could be even more velocity in the tank for Bryant, since he has the room to pack on another 30-plus pounds, giving him a chance to regularly throw in the upper 90s once he fills out. While Bryant’s best pitch is his fastball, he complements it with an 80-84 mph slider he flashes some feel to spin, a curveball in the upper 70s and a firm changeup in the mid 80s. Bryant is committed to Clemson.

Any concern about Roch's .666 OPS in Cape Cod, which I believe uses the wooden bats?

With how well Thome uses his lower half in the swing, I think there’s a good deal of projectable power in his prospect profile. I do wonder if hitting directors will have Thome make some adjustments with his hands to better align with his back hip for a smoother swing. My one qualm after watching six plate appearances is that Thome too often chases after low pitches -- like, shin-high, which I think also contributes to the grounders. If he just worked the count longer and allowed pitchers to elevate against him, Thome would have a better chance to impact the baseball.

Pirates (pick 34) scouts were in attendance.

I view Bass as a top-100 prospect in this class and currently rank him 77th. That puts him firmly in the third-round territory. The Atlanta Braves had scouts in attendance at this game I watched, and they have picks Nos. 48 (slot value $2,081,900) and 84 ($973,700). Despite the wide range of rankings among MLB draft evaluators, I wouldn’t be surprised if Bass is taken in the second round for around $2 million. With the large draft pool, the White Sox could target Bass with pick 77 and take slot savings from the first overall pick to buy out his commitment to Wake Forest.

The White Sox are doing their due diligence in visiting Grady Emerson. How serious that pursuit is debatable within MLB Draft analyst circles. It would certainly help if Cholowsky performed as well as he did against Hawaii in their next Big Ten series. That weekend will be May 1-3, as UCLA travels to Michigan State at Jeff Ishbia Field.

Yes, that Ishbia. The possible future No. 1 overall pick of the Chicago White Sox will be playing on the baseball diamond dedicated to the father of future Chicago White Sox owner Justin Ishbia. Perhaps the incoming steward will make a trek to Michigan State next weekend to see Cholowsky in-person.

On 4/20/2026 at 12:46 PM, GreenSox said:

Any concern about Roch's .666 OPS in Cape Cod, which I believe uses the wooden bats?

Good question. No answer yet from our experts.

Not sure if anyone has listened to the White Sox Draft Preview from Joe Doyle at Over-Slot featuring @Y2Jimmy0 but it was excellent. Some bullet points below.

https://www.patreon.com/posts/ep-218-white-sox-156806449

• Joe Doyle notes that he feels the general fan-base is super jaded regarding the White Sox ability to develop talent. Disagrees with that notion, particularly on the hitting portion. Getz has only been pulling the trigger at the top of the draft for 2 seasons now. Points at Bonemer, thinks he will be in AA this season, perhaps the Bigs in late 2027. Also points towards Antonacci, the early returns on Carlson and Fauske. Thinks Shirley and Getz deserve more credit than they have been given.

• Calls the system well balanced from a positional standpoint, but lacking a bit in the outfield and at catcher. Thinks they might start working some of the IF guys into the OF. Especially if Roch is the pick. Also suggests the possibility of putting Colson into a corner OF spot. Save some wear and tear on him, especially the back.

• Talks about the propensity of taking high upside prep position players with 2nd and 3rd round picks. Notes Landon Thome as a name that comes up often. Suggests he might be a 2B or corner OF.

• Talks pick 1.1. Thinks 75% to 85% Roch Cholowsky. Doesn't think he's a generational player. Thinks he can be franchise changing. A la Danby Swanson. Path to several 4.5 to 5 WAR seasons. Think's he's a .270 hitter that runs into 25 homers a season that plays some gold glove defense. Not a dynamic runner, doesn't have game-breaking power. Thinks White Sox fans expectations of Roch are too high. A very very good player, but not a player that's going to single handedly carry the White Sox to the promised land.

• Puts Grady Emerson odds at 15%. If the White Sox don't think the team is going to compete until 2028, he could make sense. Left handed, perhaps more power, but less value defensively. More volatility but possibly a higher ceiling? Joe think's it's getting too cute though. Why run the risk of Grady putting it all together when the floor of Roch is so high.

• Haven't heard the Sox on Lackey much. Notes there are scouts think he's the best player in the class. Wonders if he could potentially play CF if you have Teel as your long term answer at C.

• Says the Sox are quite high on Jacob Lombard. Thinks you can't dismiss the swing and miss in his game from last summer though, and it's far too much risk to take on with 1.1.

• James notes that if you grade Emerson out higher than Roch and you save some money, he's fine with it. But to him how much higher does that ceiling have to be to not just the take floor that Roch offers immediately? Says there are some folks in the front office that would take Grady if up to them. Some big proponents. But if you are Chris Getz and you are pressured to win soon, and you have an owner that wants a quick mover, a marketing team that wants a quick mover, you have to factor that into the selection process.

• They come back to the Dansby comp. If you were offered 24 FWAR over 6.5 controllable years from the 1.1 pick, would you take that?

• James suggests Bregman as a possible Roch comp. (If Bregman could play SS.)

• James said he would be absolutely stunned if the pick isn't Roch or Grady.

• James gets into some of the possibilities for picks 41 and 77. He personally loves the prep pitching that might be available. Doesn't love Thome at 41. Thinks they can do better with the amount of money they have. Do you go really heavy at 41 with money or play it straight and spread out the bonuses more evenly?

• Doyle keeps coming back to Dominic Santerelli as a Shirley type. Says he makes a ton of sense. Also says to circle the name Noah Wilson. Could be the best runner in the class.

• Joe thinks the Thome family will be telling everyone Landon is a 4.5 million ask, but internally the Sox would know he's more a 2.5 million player.

Edited Saturday at 08:18 PM5 days by DirtySox

BA reports on the two names that Joe Doyle mentioned. James did note that he doesn't think the White Sox would be into Santerelli if they think he's a 1B. That is not their type.

100. Dominic Santarelli

1B / OF

Ht: 6'1" | Wt: 220 | B-T: L-L

School: St. Joseph Catholic Academy, Kenosha, Wisc. Committed/Drafted: LSU. Age At Draft: 18.7.

Santarelli is a monstrous presence in the lefthanded batter’s box and boasts some of the most impressive raw power in the 2026 class. Some scouts have commented that he has some of the most impressive power for his age they’ve ever seen. He has a strapping, physically-mature frame at 6-foot-2, 230 pounds and hammers the baseball with home run power to all fields. While Santarelli does have a tendency to swing and miss, he showed impressive feel for the barrel near the end of the 2025 summer at Baseball Factory’s All-America game, in which he went 3-for-5 with exit velocities near 110 mph. Santarelli is a surprisingly good athlete for his size. While he might be limited to first base, there’s a chance he could move around well enough to handle an outfield corner. He’s committed to Louisville and also has a background as a football and basketball player.

8. Noah Wilson

OF

Ht: 6'2" | Wt: 195 | B-T: L-R

School: McCallie HS, Chattanooga, Tenn. Committed/Drafted: Vanderbilt. Age At Draft: 19.0.

Wilson is a 6-foot-2, 195-pound outfielder who has a good blend of athleticism, speed and hitting ability. He has an impressive hitting track record, though he did show some swing-and-miss tendencies throughout the 2025 circuit. Wilson starts his lefthanded swing by cranking his back elbow up high, and he then takes a short, fluid stroke with good bat-to-ball skills and an all-fields approach. It’s consistent quality contact with hard shots of the barrel to both gaps in games, using his plus speed to leg out extra bases. Wilson has the power to leave the yard on occasion and the physical upside to grow into a 20-plus home run threat. His arm strength is limited, but he has the speed that should give him a good chance to stick in center field. He’s committed to Vanderbilt and will be 19 on draft day.

On 4/20/2026 at 11:46 AM, GreenSox said:

Any concern about Roch's .666 OPS in Cape Cod, which I believe uses the wooden bats?

16 hours ago, DirtySox said:

Not sure if anyone has listened to the White Sox Draft Preview from Joe Doyle at Over-Slot featuring @Y2Jimmy0 but it was excellent. Some bullet points below.

https://www.patreon.com/posts/ep-218-white-sox-156806449

• Joe Doyle notes that he feels the general fan-base is super jaded regarding the White Sox ability to develop talent. Disagrees with that notion, particularly on the hitting portion. Getz has only been pulling the trigger at the top of the draft for 2 seasons now. Points at Bonemer, thinks he will be in AA this season, perhaps the Bigs in late 2027. Also points towards Antonacci, the early returns on Carlson and Fauske. Thinks Shirley and Getz deserve more credit than they have been given.

• Calls the system well balanced from a positional standpoint, but lacking a bit in the outfield and at catcher. Thinks they might start working some of the IF guys into the OF. Especially if Roch is the pick. Also suggests the possibility of putting Colson into a corner OF spot. Save some wear and tear on him, especially the back.

• Talks about the propensity of taking high upside prep position players with 2nd and 3rd round picks. Notes Landon Thome as a name that comes up often. Suggests he might be a 2B or corner OF.

• Talks pick 1.1. Thinks 75% to 85% Roch Cholowsky. Doesn't think he's a generational player. Thinks he can be franchise changing. A la Danby Swanson. Path to several 4.5 to 5 WAR seasons. Think's he's a .270 hitter that runs into 25 homers a season that plays some gold glove defense. Not a dynamic runner, doesn't have game-breaking power. Thinks White Sox fans expectations of Roch are too high. A very very good player, but not a player that's going to single handedly carry the White Sox to the promised land.

• Puts Grady Emerson odds at 15%. If the White Sox don't think the team is going to compete until 2028, he could make sense. Left handed, perhaps more power, but less value defensively. More volatility but possibly a higher ceiling? Joe think's it's getting too cute though. Why run the risk of Grady putting it all together when the floor of Roch is so high.

• Haven't heard the Sox on Lackey much. Notes there are scouts think he's the best player in the class. Wonders if he could potentially play CF if you have Teel as your long term answer at C.

• Says the Sox are quite high on Jacob Lombard. Thinks you can't dismiss the swing and miss in his game from last summer though, and it's far too much risk to take on with 1.1.

• James notes that if you grade Emerson out higher than Roch and you save some money, he's fine with it. But to him how much higher does that ceiling have to be to not just the take floor that Roch offers immediately? Says there are some folks in the front office that would take Grady if up to them. Some big proponents. But if you are Chris Getz and you are pressured to win soon, and you have an owner that wants a quick mover, a marketing team that wants a quick mover, you have to factor that into the selection process.

• They come back to the Dansby comp. If you were offered 24 FWAR over 6.5 controllable years from the 1.1 pick, would you take that?

• James suggests Bregman as a possible Roch comp. (If Bregman could play SS.)

• James said he would be absolutely stunned if the pick isn't Roch or Grady.

• James gets into some of the possibilities for picks 41 and 77. He personally loves the prep pitching that might be available. Doesn't love Thome at 41. Thinks they can do better with the amount of money they have. Do you go really heavy at 41 with money or play it straight and spread out the bonuses more evenly?

• Doyle keeps coming back to Dominic Santerelli as a Shirley type. Says he makes a ton of sense. Also says to circle the name Noah Wilson. Could be the best runner in the class.

• Joe thinks the Thome family will be telling everyone Landon is a 4.5 million ask, but internally the Sox would know he's more a 2.5 million player.

Roch isn't a great runner and we wasn't great with wood in Cape Cod and Team USA. Those are literally the only blemishes though.

Joe is the best. I always enjoy doing his show. I keep coming back to the same thing with Cholowsky. I just don't think the Sox can pass on him and Emerson won't be much cheaper anyway.

12 hours ago, Y2Jimmy0 said:

Roch isn't a great runner and we wasn't great with wood in Cape Cod and Team USA. Those are literally the only blemishes though.

Joe is the best. I always enjoy doing his show. I keep coming back to the same thing with Cholowsky. I just don't think the Sox can pass on him and Emerson won't be much cheaper anyway.

do you think there's a signability risk with Grady at #1? being a high schooler, I would think it would be easier/less risky to sign Roch than Grady

Signability is not a concern in the slightest for anyone they draft at 1.1. No one is turning down a new record bonus of 10+ million dollars. Not an issue in any capacity.

Edited Monday at 01:44 AM4 days by DirtySox

14 hours ago, Y2Jimmy0 said:

Roch isn't a great runner and we wasn't great with wood in Cape Cod and Team USA. Those are literally the only blemishes though.

Joe is the best. I always enjoy doing his show. I keep coming back to the same thing with Cholowsky. I just don't think the Sox can pass on him and Emerson won't be much cheaper anyway.

But Bob Nightengale said somebody else may offer Roch $14mil and the Sox won't be able to get him~

Who would take Bonemer over Cholowsky if they had the choice of one OR the other to build a franchise around?

1 hour ago, caulfield12 said:

Who would take Bonemer over Cholowsky if they had the choice of one OR the other to build a franchise around?

I don't think anyone. Bonemer is an exciting prospect but there are real defensive concerns right now and he's striking out 30% of the time in High-A. Cholowsky is an immediate top 10 prospect in baseball with potentially gold glove level defense at shortstop.

22 minutes ago, Y2Jimmy0 said:

I don't think anyone. Bonemer is an exciting prospect but there are real defensive concerns right now and he's striking out 30% of the time in High-A. Cholowsky is an immediate top 10 prospect in baseball with potentially gold glove level defense at shortstop.

Everyone's already projecting 3B 2B other corner outfield for Bonemer.

But they said the same things about Montgomery's defense.

In fact, in the chat, it was mentioned once again moving him would alleviate back concerns compared to the wear and tear of SS.

That said...having to live up to comparisons with K.Griffin, de la Cruz, Witt Jr., Tatis when he debuted, he's just not consistently going to be that electric type of highlight reel player (Cholowsky).

Whether it's Swanson or Troy Tulo instead...a 4ish SS is still a big win. McGonigle or Wetherholt would be just fine as well...with more value than JJ or Bazzana as a true SS though.

Edited yesterday at 03:12 AM1 day by caulfield12