ORLANDO, Fla. — Though they had the fourth-best odds for the top spot, the Orioles landed the No. 7 overall pick in the MLB draft lottery at the winter meetings Tuesday.
It’s Baltimore’s highest spot in the draft order since the club took second baseman Jackson Holliday first overall in 2022.
The Orioles entered with a 9.24% chance to secure the first overall pick. The MLB draft lottery determines the order of the first six picks of the first round. Because the Colorado Rockies, Los Angeles Angels and Washington Nationals weren’t eligible for the lottery this year, that improved Baltimore’s odds.
Baltimore has plenty of experience drafting near the beginning of the first round. In addition to Holliday, the Orioles landed catcher Adley Rutschman with the first overall pick in 2019. In 2024 an 2025, however, the strong preceding seasons pushed the Orioles later in the first round.
The Chicago White Sox entered with the best chance to win the first overall pick (27.73%), and the Minnesota Twins (22.18%) and Pittsburgh Pirates (16.81%) followed them. The Athletics were projected behind the Orioles with a 6.55% chance at the top choice.