Hey Team 👋

Between the CFP drama, the NFL playoff race and the start of the start of the fantasy football postseason, we’ve been inundated with a lot of football lately (not that anyone’s complaining). But today, the spotlight shifts to baseball. The MLB Draft Lottery is set, and a major name is on the move.

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The MLB Draft Lottery🎰

The MLB and MLBPA created the draft lottery to reduce deliberate tanking and incentivize competitiveness. All non-postseason teams enter the lottery, with the worst records receiving the best odds. And for the first time since its introduction, the odds played out exactly as expected: The White Sox entered with the best chance at the No. 1 pick… and then walked away with it.

Of the 18 teams who missed the postseason, only the first six are chosen by lottery. Then, picks 7-18 fall in reverse order of regular-season finish, followed by the 12 postseason teams ordered by how far they advanced. The second round is simpler: No lottery, just straight reverse standings. The Rockies will kick off the second round, followed by the White Sox.

2026 MLB Draft First Round Order

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

Some teams saw their draft positions slide due to competitive balance tax penalties. The Blue Jays, Dodgers, Phillies and Yankees were each pushed back 10 spots — and because all four reached the postseason, none remained in the first round. The Mets also received a CBT penalty, but since they missed the playoffs, they held onto their first-round slot (by a thread). As a result, the Dodgers fall from No. 30 to 40, the Blue Jays from 29 to 39, the Phillies from 26 to 36, and the Yankees from 25 to 35.

In December, the MLB lottery is usually the only baseball news we have to look forward to. But on Wednesday, the Orioles blew that expectation out of the water by signing Pete Alonso to a 5-year $155 million deal. As if landing the No. 7 pick wasn’t enough, now they get Polar Bear. 

While things are looking up for the O’s, they couldn’t look worse for the Mets. Earlier this week, New York lost Edwin Diaz to the Dodgers. After their late-season collapse — and without Alonso and Diaz — it’s fair to wonder whether it’s time for Mets fans to hit the panic button. On the other hand, those losses could be just the push the front office needed to chase a major free agent of its own.