The 2026 Major League Baseball draft will take place on July 12–13, 2026, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.[1] The draft assigns amateur baseball players from the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico to Major League Baseball teams.
The first six selections were set via a lottery, with first round picks belonging to the remaining lottery participants set in reverse order of regular season winning percentage. To complete the first round, playoff teams are in an order that combines postseason finish, revenue sharing status, and reverse order of winning percentage. Reverse order of regular season winning percentage and postseason finish will be used to set the draft order for rounds two through 20.[2]
The Chicago White Sox won the draft lottery and the first overall selection.[3] The Atlanta Braves and Houston Astros were awarded a Prospect Promotion Incentive Pick after Drake Baldwin won the National Rookie of the Year and Hunter Brown finishing in top three of Cy Young voting.
Draft lottery
The 2026 MLB Draft Lottery was held on December 9, 2025, in Orlando, Florida, during the Winter Meetings. The Colorado Rockies, Washington Nationals and Los Angeles Angels were ineligible to participate in the lottery, as per a rule in the collective bargaining agreement between Major League Baseball (MLB) and MLB Players Association that limits teams in larger markets from winning draft lottery picks in consecutive seasons, as well as limits teams in smaller markets from winning draft lottery picks three seasons in a row.[4] The following table lists the percentage chances for each seed to receive lottery picks as a result of the draft lottery.[5][6]
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Denotes lottery winner
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Denotes team that did not win lottery
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Ineligible to receive lottery pick
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Draft selections
First round
The Blue Jays, Dodgers, Mets, Phillies and Yankees exceeded the second competitive-balance tax threshold, which means their first pick will get moved down 10 spots.
Compensatory round
Competitive Balance Round A
Second round
Competitive Balance Round B
Compensatory round
Notes
- Incentive picks
- Pick Penalty
- ^ The Mets exceeded the second competitive-balance tax threshold, which means their first pick will get moved down 10 spots.
- ^ The Yankees exceeded the second competitive-balance tax threshold, which means their first pick will get moved down 10 spots.
- ^ The Phillies exceeded the second competitive-balance tax threshold, which means their first pick will get moved down 10 spots.
- ^ The Blue Jays exceeded the second competitive-balance tax threshold, which means their first pick will get moved down 10 spots.
- ^ The Dodgers exceeded the second competitive-balance tax threshold, which means their first pick will get moved down 10 spots.
- Compensation picks
- Trades
References
- ^ "Tuesday, July 14: The All-Star Game in Philadelphia".
- ^ Glaser, Kyle (March 11, 2022). "Guide To The New CBA: Draft Lottery, Expanded Playoffs And More". Baseball America. Retrieved July 25, 2023.
- ^ "White Sox win Lottery, earn No. 1 pick in 2026 Draft".
- ^ Anderson, R.J.; Axisa, Mike (December 10, 2024). "2025 MLB Draft order, lottery results: Nationals land No. 1 pick, Mets, Dodgers, Yankees all penalized". CBS Sports. Retrieved December 11, 2024.
- ^ "With regular season complete, here are the odds for the '26 Draft lottery".
- ^ "With Competitive Balance rounds set, here's how the 2026 Draft order looks".