The Pittsburgh Pirates have won the first draft lottery in Major League Baseball history, held Tuesday night at the Winter Meetings in San Diego. Pittsburgh have now held the No. 1 selection a record six times. The Pirates previously used the No. 1 pick on Jeff King (1986), Kris Benson (1996), Bryan Bullington (2002), Gerrit Cole (2011), and Henry Davis (2021).
MLB and the MLB Players Association agreed to the draft lottery last offseason, one of several new measures designed to combat noncompetitive behavior (i.e. tanking) in the new collective bargaining agreement. The first six draft picks are decided through the lottery, though the 18 non-postseason teams each have a chance at the No. 1 pick.
These were the odds for the No. 1 selection:
| Team | No. 1 pick odds | Team | No. 1 pick odds |
|---|---|---|---|
Nationals (55-107) | 16.5% | Angels (73-89) | 1.8% |
Athletics (60-102) | 16.5% | Diamondbacks (74-88) | 1.4% |
Pirates (62-100) | 16.5% | Cubs (74-88) | 1.1% |
Reds (62-100) | 13.2% | Twins (78-84) | 0.9% |
Royals (65-97) | 10.0% | Red Sox (78-84) | 0.8% |
Tigers (66-96) | 7.5% | White Sox (81-81) | 0.6% |
Rangers (68-94) | 5.5% | Giants (81-81) | 0.5% |
Rockies (68-94) | 3.9% | Orioles (83-79) | 0.4% |
Marlins (69-93) | 2.7% | Brewers (86-76) | 0.2% |
The first six picks are determined through the lottery, then the remaining non-postseason teams draft in reverse order of this year's standings. Postseason teams are then ordered by finish (Wild Card Series pick before Division Series losers, Division Series losers pick before Championship Series losers, etc.). Here is the 2023 amateur draft order:
1. Pirates (62-100, lottery winner)
2. Nationals (55-107)
3. Tigers (66-96)
4. Rangers (68-94)
5. Twins (78-84)
6. Athletics (60-102)
7. Reds (62-100)
8. Royals (65-97)
9. Rockies (68-94)
10. Marlins (69-93)
11. Angels (73-89)
12. Diamondbacks (74-88)
13. Cubs (74-88)
14. Red Sox (78-84)
15. White Sox (81-81)
16. Giants (81-81)
17. Orioles (83-79)
18. Brewers (86-76)
19. Rays (Wild Card Series loser, received revenue sharing, 86-76 in 2022)
20. Blue Jays (Wild Card Series loser, no revenue sharing, 92-70 in 2022)
21. Cardinals (Wild Card Series loser, no revenue sharing, 93-69 in 2022)
22. Mets (Wild Card Series loser, paid revenue sharing, 101-61 in 2022)
23. Mariners (Division Series loser, received revenue sharing, 90-72 in 2022)
24. Guardians (Division Series loser, received revenue sharing, 92-70 in 2022)
25. Braves (Division Series loser, received revenue sharing, 101-61 in 2022)
26. Dodgers (Division Series loser, paid revenue sharing, 111-51 in 2022)
27. Padres (Championship Series loser, received revenue sharing, 89-73 in 2022)
28. Yankees (Championship Series loser, paid revenue sharing, 99-63 in 2022)
29. Phillies (World Series loser)
30. Astros (World Series winner)
The Pirates are the big winner for securing the No. 1 pick, while the Twins moved up from No. 13 all the way to No. 5 thanks to the lottery. That bumped the Reds, who had baseball's third worst record, out of the top six. The Athletics moved back from No. 2 to No. 6. The Nationals had baseball's worst record in 2022 and will have the No. 2 pick.
It must be noted the Mets and Dodgers will have their first-round picks moved back 10 spots next year because they exceeded the $230 million competitive tax threshold by at least $40 million in 2022. The Mets will pick at No. 32 instead of No. 22, and the Dodgers will pick at No. 36 instead of No. 26.
The 2023 MLB draft will take place during next year's All-Star break in Seattle. Here's an early look at the top prospects available.
