Dec. 9: 2026 Draft lottery
In an effort to curb tanking, MLB and the MLBPA agreed to a lottery to determine the top six picks of the annual amateur draft as part of the current collective bargaining agreement. The 18 non-playoff teams each have a shot at the No. 1 pick, though the worst teams have the highest odds. Here are this year's odds for the No. 1 selection in the 2026 draft (via MLB.com):
TEAM NO. 1 PICK ODDS TEAM NO. 1 PICK ODDS
White Sox
27.73%
Diamondbacks
1.51%
Twins
22.18%
Rangers
1.34%
Pirates
16.81%
Giants
1.01%
Orioles
9.24%
Royals
0.84%
Athletics
6.55%
Mets
0.67%
Braves
4.54%
Astros
0.34%
Rays
3.03%
Angels
Not eligible
Cardinals
2.35%
Nationals
Not eligible
Marlins
1.85%
Rockies
Not eligible
Teams that pay into revenue sharing cannot select in the lottery in back-to-back years, so the Nationals (No. 1 pick in 2025) and Angels (No. 2 pick) are not eligible for the lottery this year. The Rockies, meanwhile, cannot get a lottery pick this year because teams that receive revenue sharing can not pick in the lottery in three consecutive years. They had the No. 3 pick in 2024 and the No. 4 pick in 2025. The Angels, Nationals, and Rockies cannot pick higher than No. 10 overall in 2026.
The lottery determines the top six draft picks. Picks 7-18 are the remaining non-playoff teams in reverse order of the standings. Picks 19-30 are the 12 postseason teams ordered by their finish, with the Wild Card Series losers coming first and the World Series winner picking last. The lottery will be broadcast on MLB Network.
Draft Lottery this afternoon
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Re: Draft Lottery this afternoon
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