BREAKING: Roch Cholowsky vaults to the top tier of the 2026 MLB Draft. After a season for the ages, the UCLA shortstop now sits as the premier college position player in the class on my board. The awards are real. The production is real. The defense is real. And the Bruins are building around a true franchise pillar.
The season that changed everything
Cholowsky turned a strong freshman year into a monster sophomore leap. He hit in the mid .350s with 23 home runs and more than 70 runs driven in. He crossed the plate nearly 80 times. His OPS sat in elite territory all spring. He paired that with clean, high level defense at the game’s hardest infield spot.
He took home the Brooks Wallace Award as the nation’s top shortstop. He became the first UCLA player to win it, and the first sophomore to claim it. Then he swept major national Player of the Year honors. UCLA rode his bat and glove back to the College World Series for the first time since 2013. This was not hype. This was dominance.
Breaking evaluation. We are elevating Cholowsky to the No. 1 college position player on our 2026 draft board today.
What front offices see
Scouts value certainty at shortstop. Cholowsky brings it with impact. He has quick hands, a balanced lower half, and barrel control. He lifts the ball to his pull side and stays through the zone with authority. He punishes mistakes. He handles spin. That is rare at 20 years old.
On defense, he owns the middle. His fielding percentage sat around .976 with very few errors. Footwork is calm. The internal clock is advanced. The arm plays across the bag with carry. He led Big Ten shortstops in the categories that matter. He also took home Big Ten Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year. That two way profile changes draft math.
- Hit tool with pop, proven against top arms
- True shortstop actions, steady and smooth
- Plate discipline that improved month to month
- Winning DNA, lifted a program back to Omaha
Shortstops who hit are the rarest currency in baseball. Cholowsky checks that box with room to grow.
Draft outlook, comps, and risk
Where does he go next July? He belongs in the top five mix, and he has a path to the first pick. Clubs covet premium up the middle players with production and age on their side. His game echoes the modern model shortstop. He brings power like a middle order bat, with the athletic grace to anchor an infield for a decade.
What do teams still want to see? Continued strike zone control against elite velocity. Damage to the opposite field when pitched away. The same clean defense under brighter lights. None of these are red flags. They are the normal finishing touches for a player already performing at a big league pace in college.
What this means for UCLA
UCLA’s return to Omaha resets the bar in Westwood. Cholowsky is the face of that rise. His presence lifts the staff, the lineup, and the standard at practice. The Bruins now recruit to a simple promise. Come play next to a superstar shortstop, and chase June baseball. That is culture, and it matters.
The Bruins will ask him to lead again as a junior. Expect more reps at short, a move up the order, and a green light to run. Expect packed crowds at Jackie Robinson Stadium. Expect every weekend to feel like a showcase. Scouts will file in. So will wins, if the roster around him takes a small step forward.
The bottom line
Cholowsky’s 2025 season was historic, but it did more than fill a trophy case. It shifted his timeline. He is no longer a great college shortstop. He is a potential franchise shortstop. That is the difference between a first rounder and a first pick. Today’s move on our board reflects that reality.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: When is Roch Cholowsky draft eligible?
A: He is a junior in 2026 and eligible for the 2026 MLB Draft.
Q: What major awards did he win in 2025?
A: He won the Brooks Wallace Award and multiple national Player of the Year honors.
Q: Can he go first overall?
A: Yes. His glove at short and middle order bat put him in real 1.1 contention.
Q: What makes him different from other top shortstops?
A: He pairs high contact and power with steady, advanced defense at a premium spot.
Q: How does his rise impact UCLA?
A: It raises the program’s ceiling. Recruiting, expectations, and wins all benefit.
Cholowsky just finished one of the best two way seasons we have seen from an underclassman shortstop. The hardware tells part of the story. The tape and the wins tell the rest. The next stop is a junior year under a spotlight, then a draft night built for stars. Baseball’s most valuable profile is in Westwood, and it is ready for the big stage. ⚾
