White Sox wind up with top pick in draft | News, Sports, Jobs

FILE – UCLA infielder Roch Cholowsky runs during an NCAA College World Series baseball game, June 14, 2025 in Omaha, Neb. (AP Photo/Cory Eads, File)

ORLANDO, Fla. — The Chicago White Sox won Major League Baseball’s amateur draft lottery Tuesday and will have the top selection for the first time since taking Harold Baines in 1977.

Coming off a 102-loss season, Chicago had the highest odds to win the weighted lottery at 27.73%. The White Sox will have the No. 1 selection for the third time when the draft starts on July 11 in Philadelphia ahead of the All-Star Game.

Baines became a six-time All-Star and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2019. Chicago selected first baseman Danny Goodwin with the top pick in 1971, and he played in parts of seven major league seasons.

Baines represented the White Sox on stage for the lottery at baseball’s winter meetings.

UCLA shortstop Roch Cholowsky is currently projected as the top selection, followed by Fort Worth Christian High School shortstop Grady Emerson.

Tampa Bay will pick second, followed by Minnesota, San Francisco, Pittsburgh, Kansas City, Baltimore, the Athletics, Atlanta and Colorado.

The Pirates came into the lottery with the third-best odds at getting the No. 1 pick at 16.81%, but landed in the fifth spot. They went from the third slot to the No. 5 pick. Pittsburgh finished last season 71-91, the fifth-worst record in the league.

MLB and the players’ association established the lottery in the March 2022 collective bargaining agreement. The union pushed for the innovation to encourage teams to compete for wins rather than trade off players at the deadline in an attempt to get a higher draft choice.

Pittsburgh won the lottery the first year and chose right-hander Paul Skenes, the 2024 NL Rookie of the Year and 2025 NL Cy Young Award winner. Cleveland went first in 2024 and selected second baseman Travis Bazzana and Washington picked shortstop Eli Willits this July.

Colorado, the Los Angeles Angels and Washington were not eligible for this lottery. The Rockies, a big league-worst 43-119. were excluded because a team can’t receive a lottery pick in three consecutive years. The Angels and Nationals were blocked because teams that receive revenue sharing money can’t get a lottery pick in two straight years.

After the White Sox, Minnesota had the second-highest odds of the top pick at 22.18%, followed by Pittsburgh (16.81%), Baltimore (9.24%) and the Athletics (6.55%).

The New York Mets, the second-biggest spenders this year behind the Los Angeles Dodgers, had a 0.67% chance and will wind up drafting 27th after missing the playoffs.

Elsewhere in MLB:

n A person familiar with the negotiations tells The Associated Press that reliever Edwin Diaz has agreed to $69 million, three-year contract with the World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the agreement was subject to a successful physical. A three-time All-Star who turns 32 on March 22, He joins a Dodgers bullpen that struggled last season, causing the team to shift rookie Roki Sasaki to closer in the postseason.

n Kyle Schwarber is going back to Philadelphia, agreeing to a $150 million, five-year contract with the Phillies. A person familiar with the deal confirmed the move to The Associated Press. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the agreement had not been announced. ESPN was the first to report on the move. Schwarber’s contract with Philadelphia could lead to more activity at baseball’s winter meetings as his other suitors execute their alternative plans. Schwarber is coming off a terrific season with the Phillies, setting career highs with an NL-best 56 homers and a major league-high 132 RBIs.