Now What?

The White Sox lucked out yesterday by winning the first pick in the 2026 draft. Depending how he does his junior year, UCLA shortstop Roch Cholowsky is the consensus top talent in the draft. Do the Sox pick him? Right now, they have a promising shortstop in Colson Montgomery, and their first-round pick in this year’s draft was shortstop Billy Carlson, who wowed more than a few observers with his defensive abilities. Plus, in the same draft they picked shortstop Kyle Lodise, now ranked as the ninth-best prospect in the system (Carlson is third) while Caleb Bonemer, a shortstop/third baseman, is ranked right after Carlson. Who’s going to play where? Only time and talent will tell. It’s a safe bet, though, that third base and centerfield on the South Side will go to a couple of ex-shortstops before long.