If your favorite baseball team missed the playoffs in 2026, has its eyes more set on the future, or needs some young talent to add to its farm system, Tuesday was a critical day.
The 2026 MLB Draft lottery took place at the Winter Meetings in Orlando, marking the fourth year of the lottery-based system in efforts to curb tanking efforts. It was the Chicago White Sox who came away as the winner of the evening, earning the No. 1 pick after coming in with the highest odds (27.73%) to earn the selection.
The Tampa Bay Rays were also surely happy with the result, jumping from the seventh-highest odds for the No. 1 pick to the second pick in next summer’s draft. However, because of MLB’s lottery rules, some of the worst teams in the league in 2025 — including the Rockies and Angels — won’t be picking in the top-10 of the draft.
Here’s everything to know about this year’s MLB Draft lottery results, including the updated projected draft order.
MORE: Tracking news, rumors and more from the MLB Winter Meetings
2026 MLB Draft lottery odds chart
Here are the odds each eligible team had to win the No. 1 pick, before the White Sox claimed the selection.
| Team | Odds for No. 1 pick |
| Chicago White Sox | 27.73% |
| Minnesota Twins | 22.18% |
| Pittsburgh Pirates | 16.81% |
| Baltimore Orioles | 9.24% |
| Athletics | 6.55% |
| Atlanta Braves | 4.54% |
| Tampa Bay Rays | 3.03% |
| St. Louis Cardinals | 2.35% |
| Miami Marlins | 1.85% |
| Arizona Diamondbacks | 1.51% |
| Texas Rangers | 1.34% |
| San Francisco Giants | 1.01% |
| Kansas City Royals | 0.84% |
| New York Mets | 0.67% |
| Houston Astros | 0.34% |
| Los Angeles Angels* | 0.00% |
| Washington Nationals* | 0.00% |
| Colorado Rockies** | 0.00% |
*The Angels and Nationals could not pick any higher than No. 10 overall because teams that pay into league’s revenue-sharing program cannot hold lottery picks in consecutive years. The Angels picked second in 2025, and the Nationals picked first.
**Despite having MLB’s worst record in 2025 (43-119), the Rockies were ineligible for a 2026 lottery pick because teams cannot pick in the lottery in more than two consecutive years. Colorado picked No. 3 in 2024 and No. 4 in 2025. The earliest they could pick is No. 10 in 2026.
2026 MLB Draft lottery results
| Pick | Team |
| 1. | Chicago White Sox |
| 2. | Tampa Bay Rays |
| 3. | Minnesota Twins |
| 4. | San Francisco Giants |
| 5. | Pittsburgh Pirates |
| 6. | Kansas City Royals |
| 7. | Baltimore Orioles |
| 8. | Athletics |
| 9. | Atlanta Braves |
| 10. | Colorado Rockies |
| 11. | Washington Nationals |
| 12. | Los Angeles Angels |
| 13. | St. Louis Cardinals |
| 14. | Miami Marlins |
| 15. | Arizona Diamondbacks |
| 16. | Texas Rangers |
| 17. | Houston Astros |
| 18. | Cincinnati Reds |
MORE: Ranking the top MLB free agents
2026 MLB Draft order
Here are the top 30 picks in the 2026 MLB Draft, per Baseball America.
| Pick | Team |
| 1. | Chicago White Sox |
| 2. | Tampa Bay Rays |
| 3. | Minnesota Twins |
| 4. | San Francisco Giants |
| 5. | Pittsburgh Pirates |
| 6. | Kansas City Royals |
| 7. | Baltimore Orioles |
| 8. | Athletics |
| 9. | Atlanta Braves |
| 10. | Colorado Rockies |
| 11. | Washington Nationals |
| 12. | Los Angeles Angels |
| 13. | St. Louis Cardinals |
| 14. | Miami Marlins |
| 15. | Arizona Diamondbacks |
| 16. | Texas Rangers |
| 17. | Houston Astros |
| 18. | Cincinnati Reds |
| 19. | Cleveland Guardians |
| 20. | Boston Red Sox |
| 21. | San Diego Padres |
| 22. | Detroit Tigers |
| 23. | Chicago Cubs |
| 24. | Seattle Mariners |
| 25. | Milwaukee Brewers |
| 26. | Atlanta Braves |
| 27. | New York Mets |
| 28. | Houston Astros |
| 29. | Cleveland Guardians |
| 30. | Kansas City Royals |
*The Blue Jays, Dodgers, Mets, Phillies and Yankees are projected to receive a 10-pick penalty for exceeding the second surcharge threshold of the Competitive Balance Tax.
Top 5 MLB Draft prospects 2026
*Rankings according to MLB.com
1. Roch Cholowsky, SS, UCLA
According to MLB.com, the top prospect in next summer’s draft is Roch Cholowsky, a shortstop from UCLA. The right-handed hitter is the son of former Minor Leaguer and long-time scout Dan Cholowsky, and he had a 1.190 OPS with 23 homers as a sophomore for the Bruins.
Cholowsky is viewed to have plus hitting, power, arm and fielding tools in the infield.
2. Grady Emerson, SS, Fort Worth Christian High School
Left-handed hitting shortstop Grady Emerson, from Fort Worth Christian HS in Texas, is another infielder at the top of the 2026 draft.
Emerson has “all-around tools” and “scouts have a difficult time finding any flaws in Emerson’s game,” per MLB.com.
3. Justin Lebron, SS, Alabama
Alabama shortstop Justin Lebron went undrafted in 2023 because of his commitment to the Crimson Tide coming out of high school, but now has a shot to go No. 1 overall.
Lebron has “well-above-average raw power” and he “would be an asset anywhere on the diamond,” per MLB.com. Should Lebron go higher than No. 7 overall, he’d be the highest-selected Alabama player ever.
4. Jacob Lombard, SS, Gulliver Prep High School
Rounding out the shortstops at the top of the 2026 MLB Draft is Jacob Lombard from Gulliver Prep in Florida. His brother, George Lombard Jr., is currently in the Yankees’ farm system, and the two are sons of former big leaguer George Lombard.
Jacob Lombard is described as having “plenty of juice in his bat” and “outstanding range, feet, hands and action” by MLB.com.
5. Drew Burress, OF, Georgia Tech
The top outfielder in the 2026 class is Drew Burress from Georgia Tech.
Burress had 44 home runs between two seasons at Georgia Tech, and despite being shorter than a listed 5-foot-9, he’s been praised for his compact swing.
No. 1 picks in MLB Draft
Here is a look at the last 10 MLB No. 1 draft picks.
| Year | Team | Player | Position | School |
| 2025 | Washington Nationals | Eli Willits | SS | Fort Cobb-Broxton High School |
| 2024 | Cleveland Guardians | Travis Bazzana | 2B | Oregon State |
| 2023 | Pittsburgh Pirates | Paul Skenes | RHP | LSU |
| 2022 | Baltimore Orioles | Jackson Holliday | SS | Stillwater High School |
| 2021 | Pittsburgh Pirates | Henry Davis | C | Louisville |
| 2020 | Detroit Tigers | Spencer Torkelson | 3B | Arizona State |
| 2019 | Baltimore Orioles | Adley Rutschman | C | Oregon State |
| 2018 | Detroit Tigers | Casey Mize | RHP | Auburn |
| 2017 | Minnesota Twins | Minnesota Twins | SS | JSerra Catholic High School |
| 2016 | Philadelphia Phillies | Mickey Moniak | OF | La Costa Canyon High School |
What time is the 2026 MLB Draft lottery?
- Date: Dec. 9, 2025
- Time: 5:30 p.m. ET
The lottery for the 2026 MLB Draft will take place Tuesday afternoon live from the Winter Meetings in Orlando.
What channel is the MLB Draft lottery on?
- TV Channel: MLB Network
- Streaming: MLB.com, Fubo
MLB Network will have the broadcast of the draft lottery. Fans looking for alternative streaming options can turn to MLB.com or Fubo, which offers a free trial.
