Pope Leo XIV has become the world’s most famous Chicago White Sox fan after becoming the head of the Catholic Church(Image: FILIPPO MONTEFORTE, AFP via Getty Images)
The Chicago White Sox secured the top spot in Major League Baseball’s draft lottery on Tuesday, earning the first overall pick for the first time since selecting Harold Baines in 1977, and White Sox fans rushed to thank Pope Leo XIV for it.
Following a disappointing 102-loss campaign, Chicago entered the weighted lottery with the best chances at 27.73 percent. The White Sox — who have invited Pope Leo to throw the first pitch at their new $10 billion stadium — will hold the No. 1 selection for the third time in franchise history when the draft begins July 11 in Philadelphia, prior to the MLB All-Star Game.
Baines — who appeared on stage representing the White Sox during the lottery at baseball’s winter meetings — would become a six-time All-Star and earn Hall of Fame induction in 2019. Chicago also previously used the first overall pick in 1971 to select first baseman Danny Goodwin, who went on to play portions of seven major league seasons.
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UCLA shortstop Roch Cholowsky is presently expected to be the top pick, with Fort Worth Christian High School shortstop Grady Emerson following close behind. After the White Sox won the No. 1 pick, Chicago fans claimed Pope Leo — who’s become the team’s most famous fan worldwide since his election as the head of the Catholic Church earlier this year — might have had something to do with the lucky draw.
“Pope Leo blessed the White Sox with the first pick,” one wrote on X. Another added, “The Pope out here saving the White Sox and the Bears, God bless,” while a third said, “WHITE SOX WIN THE LOTTERY. BASEBALL POPE GETS THE BIG GUY TO GET IT DONE.”
And one observed, “Timeline going from doom scrolling about the Eagles to the Pope saving the White Sox franchise with Roch!!!! Never quitting this site.”
The White Sox had a 27.7% chance to win the MLB Draft Lottery, the highest of all teams this year(Image: Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)
White Sox general manager Chris Getz is thrilled with the chance to add serious talent to the roster during the 2026 draft. “I’m still learning more and more about the draft. I’m getting familiar with some of the top names,” Getz said in an interview on MLB Network. “It looks like, at the top of the draft, that it’s a really impressive one.
“But on top of that, when you look at the pool space that you’re given and a chance to really walk away from a draft class and do some damage, bring in some real talent. … I’m just excited for our fan base and the people that are working for the Chicago White Sox.”
Tampa Bay will pick second in the draft, followed by Minnesota, San Francisco, Pittsburgh, Kansas City, Baltimore, the Athletics, Atlanta, and Colorado.
The lottery was established in the March 2022 collective bargaining agreement between MLB and the players’ association. The union advocated for this innovation to incentivize teams to compete for wins rather than trading off players at the deadline to secure a higher draft choice.
UCLA infielder Roch Cholowsky is expected to be the No. 1 pick in the 2026 MLB Draft(Image: Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)
Pittsburgh won the first year’s lottery and selected right-hander Paul Skenes, who went on to become the 2024 NL Rookie of the Year and the 2025 NL Cy Young Award winner. In 2024, Cleveland picked first and chose second baseman Travis Bazzana, while Washington selected shortstop Eli Willits this past July.
Colorado, the Los Angeles Angels, and Washington were not eligible for this lottery. The Rockies, with a league-worst record of 43-119, were excluded as a team can’t receive a lottery pick three years in a row.
The Angels and Nationals were blocked because teams receiving revenue-sharing money cannot obtain a lottery pick consecutively for two years.
After the White Sox, Minnesota had the second-highest odds of securing the top pick at 22.18 percent, followed by Pittsburgh (16.81 percent), Baltimore (9.24 percent), and the Athletics (6.55 percent).
The New York Mets, who were the second-biggest spenders this year behind the Los Angeles Dodgers, had a mere 0.67 percent chance and will end up drafting 27th after missing the playoffs.