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 night will be critical.

The 2026 MLB Draft lottery will take place at the Winter Meetings in Orlando, marking the fourth year of the lottery-based system in efforts to curb tanking efforts. The top six picks are awarded through the lottery.

Despite finishing with the sixth-worst record in MLB the season prior, it was the Washington Nationals who won the No. 1 pick last offseason, using it to take shortstop Eli Willits. Now, there are plenty of shortstops at the top of the 2026 draft who will be up for grabs — the Chicago White Sox, Minnesota Twins and Pittsburgh Pirates will have the best chances to earn the top selection.

Here’s everything to know about this year’s MLB Draft lottery, including the updated draft order when it’s announced. 

MORE: Tracking news, rumors and more from the MLB Winter Meetings

2026 MLB Draft lottery odds chart

Here are the odds each eligible team has to win the No. 1 pick.

TeamOdds for No. 1 pickChicago White Sox27.73%Minnesota Twins22.18%Pittsburgh Pirates16.81%Baltimore Orioles9.24%Athletics6.55%Atlanta Braves4.54%Tampa Bay Rays3.03%St. Louis Cardinals2.35%Miami Marlins1.85%Arizona Diamondbacks1.51%Texas Rangers1.34%San Francisco Giants1.01%Kansas City Royals0.84%New York Mets0.67%Houston Astros0.34%Los Angeles Angels*0.00%Washington Nationals*0.00%Colorado Rockies**0.00%

*The Angels and Nationals cannot 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 are 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 can pick is No. 10 in 2026.

2026 MLB Draft lottery results

This section will be updated when the lottery is complete.

PickTeam1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.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

MORE: Ranking the top MLB free agents

2026 MLB Draft order

This section will be updated when the lottery is complete.

PickTeam1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19.Cincinnati Reds20.Cleveland Guardians21.Boston Red Sox22.San Diego Padres23.Detroit Tigers24.Chicago Cubs25.New York Yankees26.Philadelphia Phillies27.Seattle Mariners28.Milwaukee Brewers29.Toronto Blue Jays30.Los Angeles DodgersTop 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.

YearTeamPlayerPositionSchool2025Washington NationalsEli WillitsSSFort Cobb-Broxton High School2024Cleveland GuardiansTravis Bazzana2BOregon State2023Pittsburgh PiratesPaul SkenesRHPLSU2022Baltimore OriolesJackson HollidaySSStillwater High School2021Pittsburgh PiratesHenry DavisCLouisville2020Detroit TigersSpencer Torkelson3BArizona State2019Baltimore OriolesAdley RutschmanCOregon State2018Detroit TigersCasey MizeRHPAuburn2017Minnesota TwinsMinnesota TwinsSSJSerra Catholic High School2016Philadelphia PhilliesMickey MoniakOFLa Costa Canyon High SchoolWhat time is the 2026 MLB Draft lottery?Date: Dec. 9, 2025Time: 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 NetworkStreaming: 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.