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White Sox win No. 1 pick in 2026 draft; Rays get 2nd selection

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    Bradford DoolittleDec 9, 2025, 05:59 PM ET

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      • MLB writer and analyst for ESPN.com
      • Former NBA writer and analyst for ESPN.com
      • Been with ESPN since 2013

ORLANDO, Fla. — In hopes of landing the next No. 1 draft pick, the Chicago White Sox enlisted the aid of their last top overall pick. The presence of Hall of Famer Harold Baines worked like a charm.

The White Sox secured the first pick in the 2026 Major League Baseball draft by winning the annual draft lottery Tuesday at the winter meetings. Chicago entered the lottery with the best odds for landing the pick, but with a 27.7% chance at the selection, it was far from a sure thing. In the end, Chicago got what it wanted.

“It’s a significant, significant event for us, and it can’t be overstated how important it is,” White Sox general manager Chris Getz said. “We’ve been hard at work at bringing talent into the organization in different ways. Obviously, the amateur draft is an avenue, and now to be able to get a chance at the top talent in the draft is really exciting.”

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As the picks were revealed one by one in a dark ballroom of the Hilton Signia in Orlando, illuminated only by studio lights for the MLB TV broadcast of the proceedings, the last two teams still alive were the White Sox, represented by Baines, and the Rays, represented by ebullient former outfielder Brett Phillips, who suggested he might perform the airplane celebration if Tampa Bay won the lottery.

Instead, it was Chicago and the more subdued Baines who took the night. Baines, who entered the Hall of Fame in 2019, was the draft’s top selection in 1977, a time so different that he said he didn’t have representation when White Sox executive Roland Hemond called to tell him the club was taking him first.

Things have changed. Though when asked which outcome he preferred — 1977 or 2025 — Baines was straightforward.

“My own,” Baines quipped. “There wasn’t this hoopla then. It’s exciting to be here. I’m happy for the organization. I’m still a part of it.”

The White Sox set an MLB record with 121 losses in 2024, and while the 2025 season was dismal by most teams’ standards, Chicago cut the loss total to a less-notable 102 and the made-over roster was dominated by up-and-coming players. They will soon add another.

Pick, Team1. Chicago White Sox2. Tampa Bay Rays3. Minnesota Twins4. San Francisco Giants5. Pittsburgh Pirates6. Kansas City Royals7. Baltimore Orioles8. Athletics9. Atlanta Braves10. Colorado Rockies11. Washington Nationals12. Los Angeles Angels13. St. Louis Cardinals14. Miami Marlins15. Arizona Diamondbacks16. Texas Rangers17. Houston Astros18. Cincinnati Reds

Among the candidates to be taken early in the draft, a lot of attention has gone to UCLA shortstop Roch Cholowsky, who hit .353 with 23 homers and 74 RBIs in 66 games for the Bruins and has been touted by some outlets as the best shortstop prospect in years.

Now, Getz has carte blanche to add another impact talent such as Cholowsky to his emerging core, though the general manager wasn’t about to tip his hand after the lottery on Tuesday.

“There’s a couple guys that are standouts right now,” Getz said. “You’ve still got to do the work. You stay at it, and you’re open-minded. But now that we’ve received the No. 1 pick, I’m fairly confident tonight I’ll be diving in a little bit more.”

Other winners from lottery night included the Kansas City Royals and San Francisco Giants.

The Royals, represented at the lottery by manager Matt Quatraro, were slated for the 13th pick but jumped to No. 6. The Giants, represented by former outfielder Randy Winn, jumped from 12th to fourth.

On the flip side, the New York Mets fell out of the lottery altogether, completing a dismal day in Queens. Because of their status as a high-level, luxury-tax-paying team, the Mets needed to get into the top six to avoid dropping. They didn’t, and on the same day they saw their star closer, Edwin Diaz, sign with the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Mets came out of the lottery with the 27th pick of the first round.

For the White Sox, after a couple of tough years in the standings as Getz’s extensive rebuild has taken shape, the news was much better, and Tuesday night was a time to rejoice.

“We’re busy — good busy,” Getz said. “But tonight, it’s really about getting the group together and celebrating the No. 1 pick.”

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Blues goalie Binnington focused on his game with Olympic selection looming

Jordan Binnington knows the chatter is out there. Heâ€s leaning on the mindset thatâ€s pulled him through tough stretches before.

The goalie who backstopped Canada at the 4 Nations Face-Off opened the NHL season as the front-runner to start in Februaryâ€s Milan-Cortina Games. But a sluggish start — for both him and the St. Louis Blues — has raised questions about where he fits in Canadaâ€s Olympic plan.

“I’m aware of what’s going on, and you want to put yourself in the best position to make that team and make it easy for people making the decision,†he said. “At the same time, I feel like I’ve been around the league for a decent amount of time and I know that if I control my inner world and what I need to do to feel at my best, then the rest will take care of itself.

“That’s where my focus goes.”

Sunday night was a step in that direction.

Binnington made 23 saves in a 4-3 victory over the Montreal Canadiens, thwarting several Grade-A chances — including a last-second look from Canadiens sniper Cole Caufield in the crease — to earn his seventh win this season.

It was a strong outing amid a difficult campaign for the 32-year-old from Richmond Hill, Ont., whoâ€s posting career-low stats across the board.

Binnington has a .875 save percentage, ranking 68th leaguewide and sixth-last among goalies with at least 10 games played. His minus-10.86 goals-saved above average, measuring how a goalie compares to the league average, is also fifth-worst according to analytics website Natural Stat Trick.

“Numbers aren’t necessarily where you want them to be,†the six-foot-two, 172-pound netminder said. “I’ve been approaching it as just focusing on my own process and what I need to feel good at the right time. I’m building my game every day, and that’s all I can do is control what I can control.

“The more I do that the more things will come out and fall into place.â€

Binnington said he hasnâ€t spoken to Canadaâ€s management team about the Olympic selection less than a month away — Doug Armstrong is both the general manager for St. Louis and the Canadian team.

“We haven’t talked about it at all. I think nothing needs to be said really, just do your job, focus here and the better the St. Louis Blues do, the better that is for that situation as well,” he said.

One thing working in Binningtonâ€s favour is his proven ability to step up in big moments.

He led St. Louis to the Stanley Cup in 2019, rising from minor-league goalie to season saviour and playoff hero in a few short months.

The fiery netminder — also known for his short temper — showed the same clutch play during the 4 Nations final, turning aside 31 of 33 American shots in Canadaâ€s 3-2 win, including a game-saving desperation glove stop on Auston Matthews in overtime.

“If you’re looking at statistics, you would, you know… but Binnington is such a winner,†Blues head coach Jim Montgomery said. “It doesn’t matter the stage, he always has the ability to bounce back because of his mental toughness, his belief in himself, and he was outstanding (Sunday).”

St. Louis captain Brayden Schenn said Binningtonâ€s low numbers only represent the teamâ€s all-around poor play early this season.

The Blues (11-12-7) have a .483 points percentage, which ranks fourth-last in the Western Conference, and hold a league-worst minus-27 goal differential — even after back-to-back wins against Ottawa and Montreal.

 “You know what? It’s been a roller-coaster season for a lot of guys on the team,†Schenn said. “People obviously, with him being the Canada goaltender last year, they look at numbers and all that type of stuff, but he makes big saves at good times.

“Our D-zone wasn’t very good at all in front of him for the first 20 games, and unfortunately our goalies took a beating for it with their numbers. Now you see that we’re a little bit tighter defensively, playing harder in front of him, and when they have to make the big saves they’re making them for us.”

When Binnington threw the puck into the corner in an attempt to kill the clock with five seconds remaining Sunday, only for the Canadiens to create another chance, he was there to make that crucial stop.

“Probably could have thrown it a little further or used my stick,†he said. “Smart player, (Nick) Suzuki I think slid it back out front, and just nice to battle it out and make one more save and close it out and then just hug the boys after.”

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Football

Uzbekistan World Cup 2026 squad: Fabio Cannavaro’s latest selection ahead of the World Cup draw

The Uzbekistan World Cup 2026 squad are history-makers as the nation’s first ever side to qualify.

Across their two rounds of World Cup 2026 qualification they only lost once, and qualified quite comfortably in their group in the third round.

They’ll play in the second FIFA series in 2026 ahead of the World Cup, where they will be a host of the event.

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Uzbekistan will debut as an independent nation at the 2026 World Cup having previously been part of the Soviet Union.

Most of their squad plays their football in the country, with a few exceptions, including Abdukodir Khusanov who plays for Manchester City in the Premier League.

Treat yourself to your favourite World Cup 2026 shirt

They have a big name manager in the shape of Fabio Cannavaro, and will be hoping his World Cup-winning experience with Italy will inspire their side 20 years on. His performance against Germany in that tournament is ranked at no.33 in FourFourTwo‘s list of the greatest individual performances of all time.

Their qualification for the 2026 World Cup saw them become the first central Asian team to qualify for the tournament as well as the third former Soviet Union state after Russia and Ukraine.

Squad

Ballon d’Or winner Fabio Cannavaro will take charge of Uzbekistan at their first ever World Cup.

His previous managerial experience includes spells in China, Saudi Arabia and Italy, none of which have been that successful.

This is second spell in charge of a national team, having taken charge of China for two games whilst also in charge of Chinese club side Guangzhou.

Star player

Pep Guardiola’s tutelage he will gain valuable experience which could greatly benefit his nation in their first ever World Cup.

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Qatar World Cup 2026 squad: Julen Lopetegui’s latest selection for the Arab Cup

The Qatar World Cup 2026 squad is the first to have ever qualified for the World Cup, following their hosting of the 2022 tournament.

Qatar will hoping for a much better showing at World Cup 2026, however: they crashed out in the group stage on home soil last time around, after scoring just once in three games.

It leaves them as statistically the worst-ever hosts of the competition – but with an expanded tournament this time around, it may be a leveller playing field this time.

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Qatar beat the United Arab Emirates and drew with Oman to officially qualify for the 2026 World Cup in the fourth round of Asian qualifying.

They were one of two designated ‘hosts’ for the three team groups, meaning both games were played in front of a home crowd.

Real Madrid, where he lasted less than half a season before being sacked. He enjoyed a better spell at Sevilla, where he won the Europa League.

Lopetegui will be familiar to English football fans, having had two stints in the Premier League in the past few years. He was in charge of Wolves before leaving on the eve of the new season in 2023, before taking charge of West Ham, again only for just over half a season before being sacked.

Star player

Copa America, scoring against Paraguay.

He also participated in the 2021 CONCACAF Gold Cup, where he scored four times and won the top scorer award, as Qatar finished third.

He was also in the squad for the 2022 World Cup featuring in every game. He’ll be hoping to break his duck in 2026 and become just the second ever Qatari player to score in the tournament.

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Jordan’s World Cup 2026 squad: Jamal Sellami’s latest selection ahead of the World Cup draw

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The Jordan World Cup 2026 squad will be the first-ever, as one of four debutants.

Jordan managed to qualify for World Cup 2026 by a point ahead of Iran, and have subsequently risen to their highest FIFA ranking (70th) since 2014.

They will play in the Arab Cup in December, and while it won’t feature a full complement of players, it will give them a good indication of where they are ahead of the showpiece event next summer.

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Jordan’s form since qualifying for the World Cup will be cause for concern, hwoever.

Since securing passage to their first-ever World Cup, they have played six times, winning just once, losing three times, and drawing twice.

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Iran World Cup 2026 squad: Amir Ghalenoei’s latest selection ahead of the World Cup draw

The Iran World Cup 2026 squad will be the fourth in a row.

In all of their appearances so far, they have failed to make it past the group stage and will be hoping they can change that at World Cup 2026 in Canada, Mexico and the United States.

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In their last set of international fixtures, they faced two potential opponents for the tournament in north America in the shape of Cape Verde and Uzbekistan.

While they didn’t lose either game, both went to penalties, and with both teams being debutants at the World Cup, it’s likely they will need to step up their performances should they wish to make it out of the group stages for the first time ever.

Real Madrid.

If Iran want to get out of the group stage for the first time ever, they will need him at his best.

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Algeria World Cup 2026 squad: Vladimir Petkovic’s latest selection for the Arab Cup

The Algeria World Cup 2026 squad is forming as the nation look to their first appearance in 12 years next summer.

in 2019, they were crowned African Cup of Nations champions, but failure to qualify for the World Cup either side of that victory is a disappointment.

Guided by some exciting new talents, they’ll be hoping to prove to the world they can compete at this level regularly – starting with the 2026 World Cup.

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The Arab Cup is next on the horizon for Algeria, who will be taking a side with fewer high-profile players: the majority of their squad are based in the Arab World with a few exceptions, namely Islam Slimani, who is now 37, the nation’s all-time scorer and playing club football in Romania.

After that, the Fennecs travel to Morocco to compete at the Africa Cup of Nations.

Treat yourself to your favourite World Cup 2026 shirt

Riyad Mahrez will finally get his shot on a truly world stage after lighting it up in the Premier League and Champions League for several years, before a move to the Middle East.

He’s backed by some exciting talents, including Badredine Bouanani and Animee Gouiri, bith playing in France. Luca Zidane, the son of Zinedine, represents them in goal.

PFA Player of the Year after recording 17 goals and 10 assists.

He now plays in Saudi Arabia for Al-Ahli and won the AFC Champions League with them in the 2024/25 season, the first time the club have done so in their history.

He’s still the lynchpin of this Algeria side, and much of their success on the pitch comes when he is playing well.

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South Korea World Cup 2026 squad: Hong Myung-bo’s last selection ahead of the World Cup draw

The South Korea World Cup 2026 squad is beginning to crystallise ahead of the draw for the competition.

The Taegeuk Warriors have qualified for every tournament since 1986, with a fourth-place finish in 2002 – which they co-hosted – their best finish in that time.

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South Korea have progressed to the knockout rounds of the World Cup just twice since their remarkable run in 2002, reaching the round of 16 in 2010 and 2022.

It could be a final tournament for Son Heung-min, who is now classed as their best-ever player – meaning there’s extra pressure on the squad to give him a deserved send-off.

Treat yourself to your favourite World Cup 2026 shirt

Son now plays in MLS, meaning he’ll be playing regularly in the lead up to the tournament, potentially a strategic move to ensure he’s at the top of his game heading into tournament.

Kim Min-Jae and Lee Kang-in are both playing regularly for Bayern Munich and PSG, meaning there’s a bit of quality through the squad, something that could help them recapture the spirit of 2002 and carry them through the tournament.

best Premier League wingers of all time, and ranked at no.35 in FourFourTwo‘s list of the greatest Premier League players of all time.

Son is the most capped player for the South Korean national team, and is only five goals off being top scorer. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see him leading the pack by the time the World Cup starts in June 2026.

He is now backed by some exciting talents, with Kim Min-jae and Lee Kang-in playing regularly for Bayern Munich and South Korea respectively. There’s a chance they could be a dark horse heading to north America…

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Colombia World Cup 2026 squad: Nestor Lorenzo’s latest selection ahead of the World Cup draw

The Colombia World Cup 2026 squad will look to build on an impressive base over Nestor Lorenzo’s two years in charge as they edge closer to next summer’s competition.

Los Cafetero were one of four teams from CONMEBOL to qualify with 28 points and will appear at the World Cup for the 7th time, and the first time since 2018.

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Up until the Copa America final loss to Argentina in July 2024, Colombia were 28 games undefeated under Lorenzo, who led the nation to qualify for the World Cup next summer comfortably: we may be 12 years on from James Rodriguez’ breakout tournament with La Sele but a renaissance could be coming.

In 2023, Colombia announced a project called ‘Futbol con Futuro’ – that’s ‘Football with a Future’, as the South Americans looked to renovate their football sides and actually win silverware: they came close in the recent Copa and are now looking for a bold run at the World Cup.

best left wingers in the world right now, an fit and firing Luis Diaz will boost Colombia’s chances in Canada, Mexico and the United States massively.

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