2026 MLB Draft: No. 1 pick Roch Cholowsky sets record with $10.35M signing bonus
CBS Sports • • sports
Key Points:
- The Chicago White Sox signed No. 1 overall pick Roch Cholowsky to a record $10.35 million signing bonus, just two days after the 2026 draft, slightly below the $11.35 million slot value.
- The White Sox plan to use the approximately $1 million saved from Cholowsky's below-slot deal to sign other draft picks, including Landon Thome, son of Hall of Famer Jim Thome.
- Cholowsky, a 21-year-old UCLA shortstop, was the consensus top player in the draft, boasting a strong offensive and defensive skill set with a .320/.453/.636 slash line and 21 home runs in 60 games.
- This signing bonus is now the largest in draft history, surpassing previous top bonuses like Chase Burns' $9.25 million in 2024 and Paul Skenes' $9.2 million in 2023.
- Since 2012, drafted players can no longer sign major-league contracts that place them directly on the 40-man roster, making signing bonuses the primary financial incentive for top picks.
