The 2026 MLB 2026 Draft Lottery took place on Tuesday night during Winter Meetings in Orlando, FL, with the Athletics officially securing a Top 10 pick.
After ranking fifth in pre-draft lottery odds with a 6.5 percent chance of landing the No. 1 overall selection, the Athletics have officially received the eighth pick for the 2026 MLB draft that will take place on July 12, 2026.
The A’s had fifth-best odds to land the No. 1 pick but instead come away with the 8th pick of the 2026 MLB Draft.
— Martín Gallegos (@MartinJGallegos) December 9, 2025
The Athletics finished the 2025 MLB season with a 76-86 record, and drafting Nick Kurtz fourth overall back in 2024 immediately paid off for the organization. The Chicago White Sox, who held MLB’s second-worst regular season record in the 2025 season claimed the 2026 draft’s top slot.
Receiving the eighth pick is an upgrade from the previous year, the Athletics selected left-handed pitcher Jaime Arnold from Florida State University with the No. 11 overall pick in the 2025 MLB Draft. The last time the franchise the No. 1 overall pick was the first-ever MLB draft back in 1965.
Following Jacob Wilson’s All-Star selection and Kurtz’s 2025 Rookie of the Year nod, the Athletics have no doubt experienced recent success developing their top prospects. Their next challenge will address what talent to look at and who will get called up to start next season.