List of Chicago White Sox first-round draft picks

The Chicago White Sox are a Major League Baseball (MLB) franchise based in Chicago, Illinois. They play in the American League Central division. Since the institution of MLB's Rule 4 Draft, the White Sox have selected 66 players in the first round. Officially known as the "First-Year Player Draft",^[1] the Rule 4 Draft is MLB's primary mechanism for assigning amateur baseball players from high schools, colleges, and other amateur baseball clubs to its teams. The draft order is determined based on the previous season's standings, with the team possessing the worst record receiving the first pick.^[1] In addition, teams which lost free agents in the previous off-season may be awarded compensatory or supplementary picks.^[2]

Of the 66 players picked in the first round by the Chicago White Sox, 32 have been pitchers, the most of any position; 20 of them were right-handed, while 12 were left-handed. Twelve outfielders, eight catchers, five shortstops, five third basemen, and four first basemen were also taken. The team has never drafted a player at second base.^[3] Fourteen of the players came from high schools or universities in the state of California, and Florida follows with eight players.^[3] The White Sox have also drafted six players from their home state of Illinois.^[3]

One White Sox first-round pick is a member of the Hall of Fame; Frank Thomas (1989) was elected to the Hall at his first opportunity in 2014.^[4] One player has won a championship with the team; Aaron Rowand (1998) was part of the 2005 World Series championship team.^[5] Thomas was a member of the White Sox for 16 years, including the 2005 season, but was not part of the World Series roster due to injury.^[6] Thomas is also the only first-round draft pick to win the Most Valuable Player Award, winning the American League honors in both 1993 and 1994.^[7] One pick, 1987 selection Jack McDowell, has won the Cy Young Award with the team; he won it in 1993.^[8] The White Sox had the first overall selection twice in the draft, which they used on Danny Goodwin (1971) and Harold Baines (1977).

The White Sox have made 16 selections in the supplemental round of the draft and 5 compensatory picks since the institution of the First-Year Player Draft in 1965.^[3] These additional picks are provided when a team loses a particularly valuable free agent in the previous off-season,^[2][9][V] or, more recently, if a team fails to sign a draft pick from the previous year.^[10] The White Sox have failed to sign three of their first-round picks: Danny Goodwin (1971), Steve Buechele (1979), and Bobby Seay (1996). The White Sox did not receive any compensation for Goodwin or Buechele, but they did receive the 51st pick in 1997 for failing to sign Seay.^[3]