Roch Cholowsky

Draft Prospects

• Ranked #1 prospect in 2026 draft
  School:UCLA Age At Draft: 21.2
  
  Drafted: Never Drafted
  
  Cholowsky ascends to the top spot following an exceptional season in which he hit .353/.480/.710 with 19 doubles, 23 home runs, 74 RBIs and 45 walks to just 30 strikeouts. He was named the BA’s National Player of the Year, Big Ten Player of the Year and was a first-team All-American. Cholowsky has a simple setup in the box and a smooth, rhythmic swing that includes a noticeable barrel tip. He has an advanced feel to hit to go along with a professional approach and sound pitch recognition skills. Cholowsky is consistently on the barrel, and this year he grew into far more impact. He posted an average exit velocity of 91.5 mph, a 90th percentile exit velocity of 106.5 and a handful of batted balls over 110. On top of his added power, Cholowsky has plus bat-to-ball skills and posted an in-zone contact rate of 90%. He has no problem handling velocity, either, and against all pitches 92+ he hit .341/.449/.537. Cholowsky has a knack for pulling the ball in the air, which was also a contributing factor in his massive uptick in game power. Long praised for his glove work, Cholowsky is a plus defender shortstop, where he boasts buttery smooth actions with an advanced internal clock and a strong, accurate arm. Cholowsky has range in either direction, is comfortable attacking the baseball and has shown the ability to throw from multiple arm angles. Cholowsky’s high-level baseball sense is a quality that shines on both sides of the ball. There is a whole lot of "this is what it looks like" with the UCLA shortstop.
• Ranked #1 prospect in 2026 draft
  School: UCLA Committed/Drafted: Never Drafted. Age At Draft: 21.2
  
  Cholowsky is one of the best college shortstop prospects in years, and after two tremendous seasons with UCLA, he enters the 2026 draft cycle as the favorite to be the first-overall pick. The 6-foot-2, 195-pound righthanded hitter was named the 2025 College Player of the Year and is a career .333/.446/.618 hitter with 31 home runs and 31 doubles in two seasons with the Bruins. Cholowsky has a simple setup in the box and a smooth, rhythmic swing that includes a noticeable barrel tip. He has an advanced feel to hit to go along with a professional approach and sound pitch recognition skills. Cholowsky is consistently on the barrel, and in 2025, he grew into far more impact. He posted an average exit velocity of 91.5 mph, a 90th percentile exit velocity of 106.5 and a handful of batted balls over 110. On top of his added power, Cholowsky has strong bat-to-ball skills and posted an in-zone contact rate of 90%. He has no problem handling velocity, either, and against all pitches 92+ he hit .341/.449/.537. Cholowsky has a knack for pulling the ball in the air, which was also a contributing factor in his massive uptick in game power. Long praised for his glove work, Cholowsky is a plus defender shortstop, where he boasts buttery smooth actions, an advanced internal clock and a strong, accurate arm. Cholowsky has range in either direction, is comfortable attacking the baseball and has shown the ability to throw from multiple arm angles. Perhaps the only blemish on Cholowsky’s resume are two underwhelming summers in the Cape Cod League in 2024 and with Team USA in 2025.
• Ranked #42 prospect in 2023 draft
  School: Hamilton HS, Chandler, Ariz. Source: HS
  
  Commit/Drafted: UCLA
  Age At Draft: 18.3
  BA Grade:55/Extreme
  Tools:Hit: 50. Power: 45. Run: 55. Field: 60. Arm: 55.
  
  Cholowsky is a standout, multi-sport athlete who also plays football and basketball, and comes from an athletic family. His father, Dan, played eight years in the minor leagues and is also a scout for the Reds. A three-star quarterback prospect, Cholowsky is talented enough to play both football and baseball in college but he has first-round potential on the baseball field. Listed at 6-foot-2, 185 pounds, Cholowsky has solid hand-eye coordination and makes plenty of contact, but at times can be overly aggressive with his swing decisions. For now he’s more of a contact hitter than a power hitter, though he has the sort of lean, athletic frame that should only add more strength in the future. He did hit 11 home runs in 31 games with Hamilton High in his senior season. Cholowsky shines on the defensive side. He’s one of the most fluid and impressive shortstops in the class, with silky smooth actions and exceptional footwork. He glides around the infield dirt and is capable of making all the routine plays, and makes the difficult ones look easy and natural. He’s particularly adept at ranging up the middle to his glove side and throwing on the run and from multiple angles—perhaps in part thanks to his quarterbacking background. Cholowsky has above-average hands, above-average arm strength and above-average instincts that should give him plus defensive upside at a premium position. He’s turned in plus run times and projects to be at least an above-average runner in the future. Cholowsky is committed to UCLA but fits as a top-two round talent.