On Tuesday, December 9, the 2026 Major League Baseball (MLB) Draft Lottery took place at the league’s winter meetings in Orlando, Fla.
Here are World Baseball Network’s observations on the results from the 2026 MLB Draft Lottery.
The official 2026 #MLBDraft order 👏
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— MLB (@MLB) December 9, 2025
The Chicago White Sox won the lottery and took home the first pick in the 2026 MLB Draft.
Heading into the night, the White Sox had the most likely odds to land the number one pick at 27.73%.
It is also the first time that Chicago has had the number one pick since 1971. They selected Danny Goodwin with that pick.
Last season, the White Sox finished with a record of 60-102. They finished last in the American League Central division.
The Tampa Bay Rays won the second overall pick in the 2026 MLB Draft.
This was a stunning result. The Tampa Bay Rays had just a 3.03% chance to land the number one pick and were projected to pick seventh overall according to those same odds.
The last time the Rays had a top five draft pick was in 2017. During that draft, with the fourth overall pick, they selected Brendan McKay out of the University of Louisville.
In 2025, Tampa Bay finished the season 77-85 overall. The finished fourth in the American League East division, just ahead of the Baltimore Orioles.
The San Francisco Giants had a pleasant surprise as they secured a top-five pick in the 2026 MLB Draft. They will pick fourth overall between the Minnesota Twins (third overall) and the Pittsburgh Pirates (fifth overall).
Heading into the night, the Giants had a 1.01% chance to land the number one overall pick. According to those same odds, they were projected to pick 12th overall.
The last time San Francisco had a top five pick was in 2018. In that draft, they selected Georgia Tech catcher Joey Bart second overall.
In 2025, the Giants had an 81-81 record. They finished third in the National League West division.
The 2026 MLB Draft is July 11-12 during the MLB‘s All-Star week in Philadelphia.
PHOTO: Representatives from 15 Major League Baseball teams wait for the lottery draft order to be announced during a live broadcast at the baseball winter meetings, Tuesday, Dec. 9, 2025, in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)
