White Sox win draft lottery, will pick #1 in 2026

[Y2Jimmy0]

1 hour ago, caulfield12 said:

Take the most athletic collegiate SS or CFer (preference) with at least an above average hit tool and plus defense.

My guess would be Roch and then preps in 2nd and 3rd. Thats always the most value. 

[Chicago White Sox]

10 minutes ago, Y2Jimmy0 said:

My guess would be Roch and then preps in 2nd and 3rd. Thats always the most value. 

100% this is the way

[Springfield Soxfan]

2 hours ago, caulfield12 said:

Take the most athletic collegiate SS or CFer (preference) with at least an above average hit tool and plus defense.

Yes, dynamic fast defensive outfielder please.   

[CaliSoxFanViaSWside]

52 minutes ago, Y2Jimmy0 said:

My guess would be Roch and then preps in 2nd and 3rd. Thats always the most value. 

I know we hear that this is a high talent level draft and there could be kids who come on strong during the season  but as of now is the talent level greater  among the college kids or HS kids ? 

Don't you think that with a decent core in the making now that its possible that 2 of the top 3 picks could be collegians with an eye on 2028 and 2029 to be back to being a lot more competitive if Cholowski and a high quality collegian in the 2nd round is available who has a high ask that might be available to the Sox ? 

[DirtySox]

1 hour ago, Y2Jimmy0 said:

My guess would be Roch and then preps in 2nd and 3rd. Thats always the most value. 

I would love this. I will be even further elated if the White Sox get a competitive balance pick in a Pirates/Robert trade. 

Edited Saturday at 11:15 PM by DirtySox

[Chicago White Sox]

45 minutes ago, CaliSoxFanViaSWside said:

I know we hear that this is a high talent level draft and there could be kids who come on strong during the season  but as of now is the talent level greater  among the college kids or HS kids ? 

Don't you think that with a decent core in the making now that its possible that 2 of the top 3 picks could be collegians with an eye on 2028 and 2029 to be back to being a lot more competitive if Cholowski and a high quality collegian in the 2nd round is available who has a high ask that might be available to the Sox ? 

The biggest issue with the previous rebuild was a lack of future wave of prospects to support the original core, partially driven by safe / need-based drafting.  We should be talking the best, high talent ceiling regardless of position in the draft moving forward and in rounds 2 & 3 of next year’s draft that will likely be prep players with the amount of pool dollars we should have.

[WhiteSox2023]

24 minutes ago, Chicago White Sox said:

The biggest issue with the previous rebuild was a lack of future wave of prospects to support the original core, partially driven by safe / need-based drafting.  We should be talking the best, high talent ceiling regardless of position in the draft moving forward and in rounds 2 & 3 of next year’s draft that will likely be prep players with the amount of pool dollars we should have.

The other problem with the last rebuild is that they finally had a competitive team but went cheap in free agency and didn’t bolster the team with top tier free agents.  The same thing is going to happen again unless Ishbia takes over the team in 2029 and spends money.

[kitekrazy]

14 minutes ago, WhiteSox2023 said:

The other problem with the last rebuild is that they finally had a competitive team but went cheap in free agency and didn’t bolster the team with top tier free agents.  The same thing is going to happen again unless Ishbia takes over the team in 2029 and spends money.

They were also brittle players.  Health seems to be the new skill especially pitchers.  

[WestEddy]

48 minutes ago, WhiteSox2023 said:

The other problem with the last rebuild is that they finally had a competitive team but went cheap in free agency and didn’t bolster the team with top tier free agents.  The same thing is going to happen again unless Ishbia takes over the team in 2029 and spends money.

They wouldn't have had to have been players in the deep end if they had a flow of talent coming from the minors. That was chronic, and how they'd end up starting the JB Shucks of the world. But yeah, they didn't make the big dives. 

[fathom]

1 hour ago, Chicago White Sox said:

The biggest issue with the previous rebuild was a lack of future wave of prospects to support the original core, partially driven by safe / need-based drafting.  We should be talking the best, high talent ceiling regardless of position in the draft moving forward and in rounds 2 & 3 of next year’s draft that will likely be prep players with the amount of pool dollars we should have.

Biggest issue with previous rebuild was they were all injury prone, and then shockingly lost their athletic ability 

Edited yesterday at 01:34 AM by fathom

[Timmy U]

27 minutes ago, fathom said:

Biggest issue with previous rebuild was they were all injury prone, and then shockingly lost their athletic ability 

Another huge issue with that rebuild is too many slow righty hitters in an era where suddenly every righthander seems to have at least a 50 slider. Having lefties in this environment is more important than ever.

[caulfield12]

7 minutes ago, Timmy U said:

Another huge issue with that rebuild is too many slow righty hitters in an era where suddenly every righthander seems to have at least a 50 slider. Having lefties in this environment is more important than ever.

Mazara and Eaton reruns great picks.

Or Alonso Jay Encarnacion.

Or LaRoche/M.Cabrera.

Hahn was simply terrible with FAs and the majority of his trades as well.

Minor league drafting and development hardly any better.

[southsider2k5]

3 hours ago, fathom said:

Biggest issue with previous rebuild was they were all injury prone, and then shockingly lost their athletic ability 

It's almost like playing guys while hurt has consequences. 

[Bigsoxhurt35]

Starting to get pumped about baseball again. This had me stoked. Can’t wait for the draft next year. 

[Lukakke Appling]

10 hours ago, CaliSoxFanViaSWside said:

I know we hear that this is a high talent level draft and there could be kids who come on strong during the season  but as of now is the talent level greater  among the college kids or HS kids ? 

Don't you think that with a decent core in the making now that its possible that 2 of the top 3 picks could be collegians with an eye on 2028 and 2029 to be back to being a lot more competitive if Cholowski and a high quality collegian in the 2nd round is available who has a high ask that might be available to the Sox ? 

In general it’s easier to float prep talent down, as they have the leverage to not sign if their price isn’t met. That’s the appeal of going high school in rounds 2,3 when you have a big pool to play with. 

[77 Hitmen]

16 hours ago, WhiteSox2023 said:

The other problem with the last rebuild is that they finally had a competitive team but went cheap in free agency and didn’t bolster the team with top tier free agents.  The same thing is going to happen again unless Ishbia takes over the team in 2029 and spends money.

I wonder if Ishbia would be willing to inject more money into the MLB payroll if it really did turn out that the Sox were a top FA or two away from competing in 2029 and JR hasn't handed over ownership yet at that point.   Being able to hit the ground running with a highly competitive team when he finally does take over would probably be ideal for him.  

[CaliSoxFanViaSWside]

11 hours ago, Lukakke Appling said:

In general it’s easier to float prep talent down, as they have the leverage to not sign if their price isn’t met. That’s the appeal of going high school in rounds 2,3 when you have a big pool to play with. 

Can't college freshman and sophomores do the same ? 

 

[Timmy U]

4 minutes ago, CaliSoxFanViaSWside said:

Can't college freshman and sophomores do the same ? 

 

Draft eligible sophomores can do it, but most Freshman and Sophomores are not draft eligible.  Juniors that don't sign destroy all leverage, so most take any reasonable offer.

[Lukakke Appling]

4 minutes ago, CaliSoxFanViaSWside said:

Can't college freshman and sophomores do the same ? 

 

Theoretically yes? I don’t really have an answer for you, it just seems less common, which makes me think it’s more difficult. I’m just a guy on a message board, though. 

[DirtySox]

5 minutes ago, CaliSoxFanViaSWside said:

Can't college freshman and sophomores do the same ? 

 

College freshman aren't draft eligible. Only some sophomores are. Depends on birthdate/age.

[southsider2k5]

7 minutes ago, Timmy U said:

Draft eligible sophomores can do it, but most Freshman and Sophomores are not draft eligible.  Juniors that don't sign destroy all leverage, so most take any reasonable offer.

And on top of it, you aren't picking a guy at that stage who you don't already have an agreement 99% done with.

[CaliSoxFanViaSWside]

5 hours ago, DirtySox said:

College freshman aren't draft eligible. Only some sophomores are. Depends on birthdate/age.

Thats strange about college freshmen. Why are HS seniors eligible at presumably 18 yrs old but  most 19 or 20 yr olds arent ? You'd think if you're good enough to play for a big time college program at those ages and excel that's more impressive than inflated HS numbers against what is usually far inferior pitching. 

[SoxBlanco]

1 hour ago, CaliSoxFanViaSWside said:

Thats strange about college freshmen. Why are HS seniors eligible at presumably 18 yrs old but  most 19 or 20 yr olds arent ? You'd think if you're good enough to play for a big time college program at those ages and excel that's more impressive than inflated HS numbers against what is usually far inferior pitching. 

Here’s the rationale provided by AI:

(Oh boy, this feels too much like a caulfield post. I apologize in advance.)

The rule feels counterintuitive at first, but it’s really about leverage, player development, and keeping the amateur pipeline stable.

Here’s the rationale, step by step:

First, MLB wants a clear choice point for players.

High school seniors are at a natural decision moment: go pro now or go to college. If they’re drafted, they can sign and start their professional careers immediately. If they don’t like their draft position or bonus, they can choose college instead. That’s a clean fork in the road.

Once a player enrolls in a four-year college, MLB wants that choice to “stick” for a while. Making college freshmen draft-eligible would create chaos, with players constantly bouncing between college and pro ball after just a few months.

Second, it protects college baseball programs.

If freshmen were draft-eligible, top recruits could be drafted again immediately after arriving on campus. Coaches would have no roster stability. Imagine building a team around a freshman ace or shortstop, only to lose him to the draft six months later. The current rule ensures schools get at least three years of development and contribution from elite players.

Third, it balances bargaining power between players and teams.

High school players have leverage because they can threaten to go to college.

College juniors and draft-eligible sophomores have leverage because they can threaten to return to school.

College freshmen would have almost no leverage. They’d already be enrolled, already used a year of eligibility, and wouldn’t yet have proven themselves at the college level. MLB teams could draft them cheaply, which is something the players’ union historically wanted to avoid.

Fourth, it encourages development rather than churn.

MLB prefers that players either:

• enter pro ball immediately out of high school, or
• spend meaningful time developing physically and mentally in college.

A single freshman year often isn’t enough to evaluate true growth, and allowing drafting after just one college season would push teams toward speculation rather than development.

Finally, the three-year rule creates a predictable system.

A player at a four-year college becomes draft-eligible after:

• their junior year, or
• turning 21 years old.

That gives MLB scouts, colleges, and players a shared timeline. Predictability matters in a system that spans thousands of players and dozens of levels of baseball.