Thus far, the A’s have not been favored by the lottery system. Last year they finished with a 76-86 record, tied with Atlanta, but the Braves held the tiebreaker, moving the A’s up in the draft odds. The Rockies, Angels, and Washington Nationals were also not allowed to pick in the lottery, improving the A’s odds. They ended up dropping two spots anyway and getting the No. 8 pick, which turned into Drew Burress this summer.
