With the height of the 2026 college baseball season in full swing, World Baseball Network is checking in on UCLA shortstop Roch Cholowsky.
According to MLB Pipeline, Cholowsky is the number one prospect for the 2026 MLB Draft. This position has him predicted to be selected by the Chicago White Sox, who have the first overall pick.
Cholowsky in 2026 with the Bruins
This season, the UCLA shortstop has a .352 batting average with 13 home runs and 41 RBIs. He also has a .475 on-base percentage and has walked just as much as he has struck out. Cholowsky has 19 walks alongside 19 strikeouts.
In the Bruins’ most recent game against Cal State Fullerton, Cholowsky had two home runs and three RBIs. It was the shortstop’s first multi-home run game since February 20 against TCU.
Roch Cholowsky 2nd bomb of the day ??
3rd in last 2 games. 13 on season. pic.twitter.com/qLrFv8eY9d
— 11Point7 College Baseball (@11point7) April 8, 2026
The game against Cal State Fullerton was the third game in which Cholowsky had multiple home runs. He also has 10 multi-hit games this season. The UCLA star has recorded a hit in every game he has played this year, except for four.
Cholowsky’s historic 2025 season
Statistically, Cholowsky is having a similar season to the one he had in 2025. That season was one of the best seasons a UCLA player has had.
The UCLA shortstop won the Brooks Wallace Award, which goes to the best shortstop in college baseball. He was also the Big Ten Conference Player of the Year and the Defensive Player of the Year.
He was a first-team All-American. Cholowsky brought home Player of the Year honors from many different outlets, including D1 Baseball, Baseball America, Perfect Game, and the American Baseball Coaches Association.
With lots of help from Cholowsky, UCLA made it to the College World Series for the sixth time in program history.
Up next for UCLA
In D1 Baseball’s latest top 25 rankings, the UCLA Bruins are the number one team in the country.
They have a 30-2 overall record and a 15-0 record in Big Ten play. The Bruins have won 24 games in a row.
Their next game is on Friday, April 10, against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights. The game is at Bainton Field in Piscataway, N.J. The first pitch for that game is at 6 p.m. ET.
WBN NCAA: https://worldbaseball.com/league/ncaa/
PHOTO: UCLA’s Roch Cholowsky reacts after hitting a home run during an NCAA baseball game against Texas Christian on Friday, Feb. 20, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Kyusung Gong)
