MLB commissioner Rob Manfred goofs up first overall draft pick’s name
The 2026 MLB Draft kicked off on Saturday and ended with a real bang.
And by that I mean MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred mixed up the name of the first overall pick.
The Chicago White Sox had the first overall pick in this year’s draft and they used it to select Roch Cholowsky from UCLA.
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But Manfred read the star defender’s name as “Cho-LOO-skee,” which would be fine if it was pronounced that way.
But it is not like that. It’s “Chill-OW-skee.”
UCLA’s Roch Cholowsky was the first to hear his name (or something pretty close to it) called at this year’s MLB Draft in Philadelphia. (Photo: Daniel Shirey/MLB Photos via Getty Images)
Now, in Manfred’s defense – which is perhaps where this phrase was first written – names are not easy. Athlete names can be especially misleading.
There aren’t many John Smiths or Jeff Johnsons out there these days.
So, I get it… sort of.
Like most drafts, some players are expected to go in the first few picks, and Cholowsky was one of the frontrunners.
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It’s unreasonable to expect every name called during the draft to be perfectly pronounced, but taking three to five players expected to be in the top right doesn’t seem like too much.
If I had to do this, I would study these names like crazy. I could chant these names back and forth in my sleep.
It’s been a rocky start to the MLB Draft, with Commissioner Rob Manfred killing Roch Cholowsky’s name at first overall. (Photo: Daniel Shirey/MLB Photos via Getty Images)
Of course, the gravity of the moment would probably lead to me destroying them anyway, but dammit, I was going to try it at the old college.
What’s interesting is that this is the second straight major pro draft that resulted in a strange first overall pick.
Manfred ignored this and blatantly skipped the play-in at the NHL Draft in June when Justin Bieber decided to go freestyle as the Toronto Maple Leafs announced they were taking Gavin McKenna with the first overall pick.
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Alright, sports world, we’re playing a little fast and loose with these draft announcements.
Let’s not skip training, okay?
