The Chicago White Sox have been down bad for so long. But maybe having their biggest fan in Vatican City helped their 2026 MLB Draft odds.
The franchise that won just 60 games in 2025 had a 27.7 percent chance at the top pick, which were the best odds even if they weren’t great. And for the first time since 1977 — when they took Harold Baines — they got the first pick.
It came in the same year that Pope Leo — who is notoriously a White Sox fan from Chicago — ascended to the papacy, so of course there were so many jokes about how having him as pope helped the franchise.
WHITE SOX WIN THE LOTTERY. BASEBALL POPE GETS THE BIG GUY TO GET IT DONE
— Céspedes Family BBQ (@CespedesBBQ) December 9, 2025
It seems ‘Da Pope’ has done it again with the White Sox landing the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 MLB Draft.
Mully: “I mean, haven’t things gone better since he got in charge?” pic.twitter.com/D0UOuDFnd8
— 670 The Score (@670TheScore) December 10, 2025Will Roch Cholowsky be the White Sox pick?
Obviously, we’re going to need to wait until the actual MLB Draft in a few months to find out. But UCLA shortstop Roch Cholowsky is seemingly the top choice after hitting 23 home runs.
When is the 2026 MLB Draft?
That would be July 11, 2026.