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(Photo by Daniel Shirey/MLB Photos via Getty Images)
Each December, the MLB draft lottery is a must-see event for baseball fans.
After the initial draft lottery saw the No. 1 overall pick go to the team with the best odds (2023 Pirates), we’ve had back-to-back years with drawings resulting in upsets (2024 Guardians and 2025 Nationals). Will the lottery drawing for the 2026 draft have more surprises in store?
Here’s everything to know.
When Is The MLB Draft Lottery?
This year’s draft lottery is set to take place during the Winter Meetings in Orlando on Tuesday, Dec. 9 at 5:30 p.m. ET.
How To Stream The 2026 MLB Draft Lottery?
The event will be broadcast on MLB Network and streamed live on MLB.com.
How Does The MLB Draft Lottery Work?
As part of the collective bargaining agreement signed in 2022, MLB instituted a draft lottery to help curb tanking.
Per the CBA, all eligible non-playoff teams are entered into the lottery for a chance to claim the top six picks, with odds determined by the standings. Ping pong balls are placed in an air-blown lottery machine that produces a ball labeled with a number every 15 seconds. Four balls are collected to create a four-digit code corresponding to a certain team.
The process is repeated until the top six lottery spots are filled. Once complete, the remaining lottery teams are then slotted according to the original odds.
Which Teams Have The Best Odds?
After being ineligible for a lottery pick last year (more on this below), the White Sox come into the draft with the best odds for landing the 1-1 pick at 27.73%. The Twins have the second-best odds at 22.18% and the Pirates are third at 16.81%. The Astros have the lowest odds at just 0.34%.
You can find the complete odds here.
Why Aren’t The Rockies, Nationals & Angels Included In The Lottery?
In a typical year, the bottom three teams would have an equal shot to win the first overall pick. However, both the Rockies and Nationals are ineligible for the lottery this year—leaving the White Sox with best overall odds of any team.
The new system is a tough blow in particular for the Rockies, who finished with the worst overall record in baseball and would have been a lock for the top overall pick in the upcoming draft under the old system. Now, because they picked in the lottery in 2023 and 2024, theyâ€ll have to settle for just the 10th overall pick.
The Rockies are ineligible as a revenue payee that has picked in the lottery in each of the past two drafts, while the Nationals are ineligible as a revenue payor that picked in the lottery last year.
Under the current draft lottery rules, teams that receive revenue sharing (e.g., the Rockies) canâ€t pick in the lottery in three consecutive years, while teams that pay into revenue sharing (e.g., the Nationals) canâ€t pick in the lottery in consecutive years.
The Angels are the third ineligible team for the lottery this year. They are a revenue payor like the Nationals and picked in the lottery last year.
Teams ineligible to receive a lottery pick can pick no sooner than 10th overall. For 2026, the Rockies will pick 10th, the Nationals will pick 11th and the Angels will pick 12th.
The remaining 15 eligible teams will have a chance for a lottery pick. After the first six selections are determined the rest of the order for non-postseason teams is determined by reverse order of regular season winning percentage. Ties are determined by winning percentage of the prior season.
What About The Non-Lottery Teams?
Non lottery-eligible teams (the eight postseason teams) have their draft order determined by a combination of postseason finish, regular season standings and revenue sharing status. Here is that order for this year’s lottery, plus all picks out to the World Series champion Dodgers:
18. Reds
19. Guardians
20. Red Sox
21. Padres
22. Tigers
23. Cubs
24. Mariners
25. Brewers
26. Braves
27. Mets
28. Astros (PPI)
29. Diamondbacks (Compensatory)
30. Guardians (Competitive Balance A)
31. Royals (Competitive Balance A)
32. Diamondbacks (Competitive Balance A)
33. Cardinals (Competitive Balance A)
34. Orioles (Competitive Balance A)
35. Pirates (Competitive Balance A)
36. Yankees (Competitive Balance A)
37. Phillies (Competitive Balance A)
38. Rockies (Competitive Balance A)
39. Rockies (Second Round)
40. Blue Jays (Second Round)
41. Dodgers (Second Round)
Who Are The Top Prospects Available For The 2026 Draft?
In October, Baseball America published its latest ranking of the top 100 draft prospects for 2026. The list is topped by UCLA shortstop Roch Cholowsky, who’s continued to hold the No. 1 spot as one of the best college shortstop prospects weâ€ve seen in years.
Texas high school shortstop Grady Emerson ranks second in the class and appears to be the clear leader in the prep ranks thanks to a polished hit tool and a solid toolset beyond it.Â
You can find more rankings and draft coverage here:
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