The inaugural MLB draft lottery was conducted at the Winter Meetings this evening. The Pirates were awarded the first overall pick, followed by the Nationals and Tigers. Here is the first round:
- Pirates
- Nationals
- Tigers
- Rangers
- Twins
- A’s
- Reds
- Royals
- Rockies
- Marlins
- Angels
- Diamondbacks
- Cubs
- Red Sox
- White Sox
- Giants
- Orioles
- Brewers
- Rays
- Blue Jays
- Cardinals
- Mets
- Mariners
- Guardians
- Braves
- Dodgers
- Padres
- Yankees
- Phillies
- Astros
In previous years, the draft order was fixed in inverse order of the regular season standings. As part of the Players Association’s efforts to reduce the incentive for non-competitive teams to lose games, the latest collective bargaining agreement introduced a lottery to determine the top six overall selections. A team’s odds of landing a higher pick are still weighted in favor of the clubs with the worst records, although the three worst teams all had identical chances of landing the top selection. All 18 non-playoff teams were technically in the running for any of the top six picks, albeit with increasingly diminished odds for the clubs with better records. The 12 playoff teams were ordered depending on their postseason finishes, with a team’s revenue sharing status separating teams that were eliminated in the same round.
This year, the Nationals, A’s and Pirates all had the best chance of securing the #1 overall selection. Each club had a 16.5% probability. The Reds (13.25%) and Royals (10%) rounded out the top five as the only other teams with a 10% chance or better of securing the top pick. Other than Pittsburgh, the Twins were the biggest beneficiary of the new system, drawing into the top five despite having the 13th-worst record. The Royals fell outside the top ten despite finishing fifth from the bottom in the standings, while Oakland falls from second-worst to sixth.
The lottery only comes into play for the first round of the draft. From the second round onwards, pick order is determined in inverse order of the prior season’s standings, aside from compensatory and competitive balance selections.
While the draft order is official, there’s obviously plenty of uncertainty as to which players will be at the top of the class. Baseball America updated its preliminary top 100 draft prospects in October, slotting LSU right fielder Dylan Crews, Tennessee right-hander Chase Dollander and Ole Miss shortstop Jacob Gonzalez among the most talented prospects. There’ll be plenty of movement once the amateur baseball circuit kicks back off next spring.
A’s fleeced
NBA lottery is rigged. Good news is Not a lot of reason to suspect giving the pirates the top pick being rigged lol
So… The MLBPA fought for draft lottery so the lowest paying teams wouldn’t automatically get the top picks. They took away the top pick from the typical big budget Nationals and handed it to the lowest budget Pirates. Great job, MLBPA. I’m sure that convinced the Pirates to spend more money.
They could’ve just as easily had the tenth pick. It’s a crapshoot and they hit.
Could have, Would have, Should have. Didn’t.
Who took the nationals top pick? They lost a lottery. And made rules that you can’t get top picks back to back. What is your suggestion to make it better? Complaining something doesn’t work and not offering a solution doesn’t really do anything in society.
It works for a certain political party in some quarters lol
Now let’s go pick another Cole, not another Bullington.
or Cole Tucker, their #1 pick in 2024
A’s tearing it down finally bites them. They just lost a ton of bonus pool money
The A’s are tearing it down so they are bad enough that they can move to Las Vegas. They don’t care where they draft or pool money until they move.
If the fleecer got fleeced, that seems about right.
Didn’t the players want the lottery to prevent the tear down tank? So the A’s shouldn’t be bad again in 2023 right?
Haven’t been on the site in a while. What happened to having the comments moderated? Most posts are of members slinging hate. Btw, the lottery is a great step forward.
@tigger17 They added a mute option. So anyone that tiggers you can be muted and you never see anything from them again.
You almost think that Fisher somehow fixed the draw so the A’s wouldn’t be saddled with paying for the top pick. Of course, their last top-10 pick is an All-Star – for the Arizona Cardinals.
This time we’re going to draft a world class soccer player and hope he chooses our run down facilities, an overly long minor league career in an attempt to exploit his best years, and a 25 year legacy of refusing to spend money on players. Sorry Real Madrid, he’s gonna be an Oakland A!
The Nationals are the real winner here. The Pirates will balk at the price tag that goes with a true #1. So they will make an agreement to pick someone that should be picked far down the draft board. They will be the actual number 1 pick but will sign for half of the slot value and what the true number 1 costs the Nats.
Pirates aren’t cheap when it comes to prospects. They try to spend max every year. Would spend more if their wasn’t a pool system.
Same org who thought two cricket players would play in the majors. They never made it past the minors. That gm gone. Think differently
The Pirate will sign whomever they pick. The Pirates spend all of their bonus pool allocation.
As far as I know, that’s not how it works. You go underslot so you have the ability to go overslot on another player. Ive always thought teams spend all of the money they are allocated.
I meant that as a reply to a Pirates are cheap post. As for me, I look forward to watching Crew and Cruz send missiles into the stands. I want the Pirates to take the BPA and pay him for what he wants as a bonus.
Yes, they’re also allowed a little room to go over their bonus pool, but there are punishments for going too far over..
These rules can easily be Google’d, if you care to know the details…I can’t remember the exact numbers right now..lol
Completely stupid comment Coffin Nail. Go read some previous draft history instead of spouting a tired narrative.
For your info, the max slot value rule, and the caps to International Bonus Pool was put in place in part because of the Pirates.
Nail- They did not do that two years ago.What they did do was save some on Davis which enabled them to get two other highly rated prospects.They picked Davis because they needed a catcher.And Dream GM is correct,they will spend money on draft choices.
You are thinking of the previous to the previous management regime which was under different ownership.
Smart teams would rather balk at the the top pick if they aren’t head and shoulders above everyone else. That’s why they pay overslot in later rounds by projecting prospects even further out than other teams.
Preferring to take savings at the top pick because there isn’t a 1-1 prospect and purchasing more “tickets” shouldn’t be frowned upon. It’s working within your org constraints to find any competitive advantage you can.
that scenario hasn’t happened in several years and that #1 pick himself balked at being drafted by the Pirates
Coffin nail- Generally the smartest teams do that so instead of getting 1 1st talent they get 3-4. See the Astros when they took Correa. Fans of baseball at the least knowledgeable when it comes to their sports draft in comparison with other sports.
The Pirates are part of the reason the draft pool rule was implemented. We gave Josh Bell $5mil to sign w/ us instead of going to college for football. There are other examples that I forget.
They took Henry Davis last year under slot to afford the bigger picks they took later, like Ronnie White Jr and such. They still spent their entire pool down to nearly the last dime. Heck, I think they traded to get extra $$ from another team or two.
Pirates just don’t pay established players on their MLB roster. Which is the real crime.
Just don’t understand why they have no problem spending $ on unproven players but won’t spend on veteran players.
there’s a huge difference between paying a draft pick $5 million and paying a veteran $10 million
The draft pick is a one time deal, veterans normally want multi year deals
What a shocker!!!! Those poor fellas can’t catch a break
Fcking stupid rule change!
Didn’t work the way they’d intended, Bucs owner is the cheapest one in baseball
Man no wonder casinos are cash cows. Nobody understands probability.
Seriously, it’s pretty clear some of these commentators have lost all their money on a Vegas trip
as a lifelong Pirate fan since 1966, former 30 year season ticket holder, I am bummed that they got the #1 pick.
The current owner doesn’t deserve the opportunity to choose the best amateur player in the country.
Don’t care for the lottery in baseball or the NBA for that matter
NBA lottery is rigged. Good news is Not a lot of reason to suspect giving the pirates the top pick being rigged lol
Sorry for duplicate comment, it replied to the wrong one for some reason, and didn’t give me the option to delete it
Yeah phantom, I posted something accidentally the other day, and it didn’t show an option to delete it. Pissed me off.
If you refresh the page before the editing window closes, the window closes and you lose the option to delete the comment. Been there, done that.
Too bad because you should have deleted both comments. NBA draft isn’t rigged, just gives you results you may not like.
I’ll just forward you that Kings/ Lakers playoff game from awhile ago…
@tigerdoc nah, I don’t even really have a favorite team. But there have been multiple times that the results have been laughably convenient. Not to mention the well publicized first result
I’d like to see the number one pick go to the team that wins the most games after being mathematically eliminated. That discredits tanking more than a random lottery does.
not sure the angel are #1 but they have been doing that last 5 years.
Doesn’t matter all that much anyways. Most 1st overall picks are busts, which you could say for any pick, really.
Yes like both but all Teams involved but doesn’t mean like Astros would get 1st pick. NFL needs a Lottery.
This one belongs to the reds. Tell me you don’t understand probability without telling you don’t understand probability
What does that have to do with the lottery system being crap?
What’s your suggestion?
There was nothing wrong with the system the way it was. Seems the NFL has no problem with it. The same system that baseball adopted is called rigged by the NBA. Just waiting for that to start today after last night too. Did anyone actually see the selection process? They brought out a deck of pre-prepared cards after all.
The system was terrible. Why do people compare baseball and it’s 162 games to nfl what a god awful comparison
Probably because it is the most popular sport by far now, like baseball USED to be.
I personally would like baseball to get back there instead of becoming irrelevant like it is becoming for most folks below 50. The average age of baseball fans is now beyond that.
The fix is a no brainer. The more popular sports have an equal playing field. Baseball doesn’t. But the large markets don’t want to give up their advantage over the other 20 or so teams for the good of the game.
Well at least the Buccos won something.
What a disaster
F
The year we have a horrible season and MLB decides to change the rules. Why is my team always Fcked?!
Don’t forget the mlb playoff format rules changed briefly in 2012 when the worse team in divisional round got the first 2 games of series at home which was tigers
It would have been hilarious if they changed the rules and added a draft lottery because of the Orioles tanking and then the Orioles won the draft lottery with their like 1% odds.
Oh well, congrats Buccos!
Orioles tanked the year after replacing the whole front office. however they’ve been making great strides since and were really good last year given only a few years removed from having no farm and no international talent.
I totally misread your post sorry
All good, man. I’m very happy with the direction right now, it really looks like Mike Elias is building a sustainable contender here.
All that tanking for the A’s to get the #6 overall pick. Billy got beaned.
Sadly, I think they were trying.
I think you’re trying and failing per usual
Wow, you’re following me now? I’m sorry you’re so triggered but this is pretty creepy now.
Take your beat down and go to sleep .
Lol you’re clearly unstable. I’ll stop ripping on you.
Just beware next time, before you start…
Beware of what, you? As much as you may like, I don’t want your lotion hands anywhere near me.
Your momma likes it when my hands are soft.
Lol cut your losses bud. You’re in over your head.
Ooops “y’all in over your head cause…”
Wrong, tucker loves your soft hands, and trump loves them between his little orange cheeks. I bet it smells like McDonald’s in there doesn’t it? Report back, woof.
Red wave coming any minute now.
Stare out your window so you don’t miss it.
Poor Republicans lose again in Georgia
Can we keep the political stuff off here? A lot of us come here to join together and talk to each other without all that stuff. That’s the best thing about sports. We can have a serious discussion without getting political. I have nothing against either political opinions but if I agree with George Washington on anything it’s that he was right about how the country should have never split into 2 parties. I am personally sick of both of them.
Amen Steve
Steve-A poster who knows American history!
Washington did not realize that there was only one of him.
I voted for him in the last presidential election.Our best president was our first.
We may need to be like Italy and have numerous parties.
But this will be my last post on this subject.
FYI, neither side cares about you.
Dog-Not sure who you addressed.
Mendoza—Not you , I liked your comment.
It was for the nut giving election results.
Thank you young man.
Lol if only I was still young.
Shhhh you sound sad old crusty
Productive night for you Sticky!
Spent changing your chat username like six times!
Maybe try reading a book or kissing a girl for first time in your life.
Get off here and go clean yourself up, you’ve had a big day rolling around in the mud
Don’t get mad bro. I’m not judging you because you’re a virgin.
And I’m not judging you for being an incel
Lol you’re the worst troll ever. At least some are funny or randomly hit on something.
You’re just boring and unoriginal.
“Duh, yay Democrats! These politicians care about me”!!
Moron
I struck too close to home with that incel comment, hit you right on the nose. I’ll send over some mcdonalds and mountain dew, that’ll keep you kicking for another few hours. Chicken nuggets okay with you? I’ll even have them throw in some BBQ dipping sauce too!
Leftover from your kids party… no thanks.
Only dippin I do will be in your whr momma again….
Now go back to the basement while I work her over!
Dementia Joe accomplished more in the last two years than your zero did in his 4 years
Unless you count the near coup he almost pulled off
come on, their candidate was the intelligence equivalent to Sarah Palin. I wonder if Walker could see Russia from his back porch, too
Italy has a history of voting for fascists
Thanks but I’ll pass
Moneyball still a great movie though… one of the best.
I liked it at the time but in retrospect, it’s somewhat insulting from a baseball standpoint.
No its not
I meant for those that actually know about baseball. You wouldn’t understand.
Do you know baseball? It doesn’t seem like it….it doesn’t seem like you know much about anything good really.
Says the guy calling someone else a pedo. Get a life.
DogDays called me a pedo and brought up whoever Darrell Brooks is, kinda concerning.
It is a great film. Glad they finally put on film how the Mess can completely ruin a guy’s life and make him question everything, motivating him to burn it all down.
Less money to spend on draft bonuses my man
Watch out for TheDogDays, he’s a real weirdo
Another #1 pick for the Pirates to screw up.
Screw up? They’ll probably underslot a player.
The previous 2 managements didn’t screw up their draft picks, their choices were overrated by the scouts
Cherington is in his 3rd year as GM, so his picks haven’t yet been graded
To be fair, it’s hard not to like Johnson and Davis at those picks, though quite risky to go with a #1 overall catcher. Adley at that was a no-brainer. Hope Davis turns out to also be the case, though the C market is so barren, even if he’s mediocre it still would work out.
Nick Gonzalez and Temarr Johnson were the best hitters (I believe) of their respective draft classes, so it’ll be interesting to see how they turn out.
Having he first overall pick in baseball is pretty meaningless compared to the other major sports. So on the one hand the lottery doesn’t really change much, but on the other hand it seems to me that it will have no impact on tanking at all.
Incorrect. The Bonus pool money that accompanies the top picks affords you an incredible advantage at signing high schoolers who are hard college commits
Keep in mind this lottery only impacts the first round, so the A’s still get slot value credit for the second overall picks in Rounds 2-10. You are right in that there is a pretty large difference between the slot value for the #2 overall pick vs. the #6 overall pick in the first round. This year, the #1 overall pick had a slot value of $8.8M while the #6 overall pick was $6.0M so there is a sizable difference by dropping 5 spots at the top of the draft.
It depends on the year. Sometimes there is a can’t miss as a baseball prospect can get that is clearly safer and or superior to every other option. And the pool money always helps.
See Brock Porter.
The article lists the Royals as the 8th pick, then says “The Royals fell outside the top ten despite finishing fifth”. Not sure which is correct.
Yeah, good catch Oddvark. The Royals did get the 8th spot, so what he wrote was incorrect.
I still think as oppose to a lottery, the non playoff teams have a one and done tournament. Winner gets the #1 pick.
A 3 game series would create more revenue. Gotta have a least a 5 game series for the final that decides it all. Could be the MLBs NIT.
They gotta take Dollander right? The organization refuses to sign top MLB pitching so this is their only chance to acquire some.
That was my first thought too, Lars, which means that they’ll draft another middle infielder instead
No matter. I’m so inspired that they won something that I’m going to walk down the street and burn a porch couch
Tired- Please don’t do that.
I doubt that they have MLB Trade Rumors in prison.
Not me, I’m going to burn a joint
Best available regardless of position unless position is needed as tie breaker. Or there is no clear #1 they can go under slot and pillage the other rounds.
Chase Dollander looks impressive. He would be my pick.
Worse thing that could happen to the Pirates, first overall pick
If that’s the worst, then what’s the best? Your comment makes no sense.
Wish they had it last year to get Jones.
Actually, the Mets at #22 and the Astros at #30 need to be removed, everyone from #23-29 should be moved up one and the Mariners pick #29 thanks to Julio! The gift that keeps on giving! ROY? Check! All-Star? Check! All-MLB 2nd Team? Check! Silver Slugger? Check! 1st round pick for earning an opening day roster spot and keeping it? Double check!
Not a bad outcome for the Nats…
Tiger’s moved up 3 could have fallen to 9!!
Slightly makes up for the Red Wings getting hosed year after year.
Love seeing Oakland slide down the board. They don’t put a competitive team on the field and try to keep payroll down as low as possible. Good.
Or maybe they’re just broke (team revenue I mean)
Oakland competes with the Giants for fans and has the worst stadium in all of baseball
Tigers moved up 3!
This is dumb. This isnt basketball. This significantly alters organizations for years. You dont just get drafted and change the major league team. I dont really get how this makes any sense in baseball
For some reason it was important to the players and it was a easy concession for the owners to make. I like it. Gave anyone reading this something to do.
Pirates are having a strong off-season.
Agreed but the yinzers are not seeing that way. But as a Pittsburgh native myself, I can safely say it’s just who we are.
I think it’s how most people are. They don’t impress me with their intelligence. Sports fans even more so.
Tigers moved up 3 so yeah ha!
Who should be the top pick in the draft?
I’d go Crews.
I’d go Wyatt Langford. The power potential there looks as if it could be something special.
“To reduce the chance noncompetitive teams keep tanking”… yeah… not gonna do it this way.
It’s a heck of a tank to be the worst team, but the 3rd or 4th worst is easier to do. Only legit part is limit of years to be eligible for lotto. Can’t believe this was a bargaining item for the players. I would guess the owners were happy it was.
The players union is run by morons. Draft capital only changes a bit with the lotto placements. Owners are fine with that as long as they get more revenue dollars from expanded playoffs.
Uh, so we have to pick 31st AND will lose our 2nd and 5th rounders? Stupid system gets even more stupid.
Tiger’s hit the lottery pretty good, so this plan of not improving the team by Harris is working pretty good. Another poor season, and good fortune in the next lottery, the key to Detroit’s success.
Chase Dollander I hope.
I thought this was a Nutting joke, but just saw the prospect list…nope, real human, evidently.
Excellent work. Deserves more than just a thumbs up.
Rewarding one of the worst owners in the MLB for terrible stewardship of the citizens of Pittsburg franchise. Abomination. A forced sale is in order.
learn how to spell
it’s Pittsburgh with an H
Two years ago when they had the No. 1 pick they went for a good player, saved money and got a number of very good prospects with the money saved at No.1
Will be interested to see where they go this time. Their system is now considered to be very well stocked so I hope they go for broke and hit a home run with their pick. Will watch Spring baseball with great interest.
Rangers jumped 4 spots with a competitive team and stacked farm already. The future is bright.
Drafting hasn’t really been the problem with Texas. It has been developing. The man representing the Rangers at the Draft, Kip Fagg, is largely responsible for this failure.
Let me guess…Gary Bettman rigged this one, too, right?
So thr Rangers got Odorizzi for 2.5 million (10 mil payed by the Braves for Allard), DeGrom for a way lower AAV than anyone reasonably predicted, they got Heaney for a low guarantee/AAV with incentives, and they got 4th! This is quite the offseason. If they trade all their top 100 middle infield prospects in a 3 team deal with Pittsburgh (they don’t need middle infielders), this would be the perfect offseason.
I meant for Bryan Reynolds, of course.
And all to finish 3rd in their division and outside the playoffs.
The last time the A’s had a pick this high they took a football player…maybe this time they’ll take a hockey player.
Glavine worked out.
Thrilled for the Buccos. Cherrington is dong a solid job I think. If a Reynolds trade happens (and it should), it will likely net a solid return that fills in some gaps now and in the future. Add in Endy, Davis, and some others, we will be looking at a competitive, albeit not championship-caliber, team by 2024. Draft well in 2023 and by 2025 you may see a team like the ones in 2013/2014. Window is opening slowly but it’s getting there.
DX-You seem like a glass three quarters of the way full poster.
And it’s three quarters filled with Kool aid.
Athletics organization is punching air right now.
Prefer to punch the cheap and clueless owner
I wasn’t much of a fan of the lottery for baseball but my team just benefited greatly from it. Not sure what to think now. I probably still think it’s dumb.
Not a fan of the draft lottery but happy with the Twins result
If I was a twins fan and wasn’t a fan of the lottery I would be now. This lottery is f n awesome.
I’ll take the outcome, but I still think it’s dumb.
the whole idea of a draft is dumb. amateur free agency baby!
Man, the Reds are going to terrible for a generation.
I don’t think so. They have a good farm and shown the willingness to spend max money for their market in the past.
The Reds finish with the exact same record as the Pirates yet pick 6 spots lower.
Keen observation.
Why are the Pirates always so bad? Why don’t they spend? Low fan turnout? They have a great stadium. The Steelers are Penguins always seem to stay competitive. Seems like Pittsburgh is large enough to support a MLB team.
Ownership, the front office, and their decisions have been terrible. Slowly changing.
it will never change until Nutting sells the franchise and to someone willing to invest in the players
Rays don’t spend and have awful attendance. Owner mainly cares about making money. Once a cheap core is ready he will spend more money but only because the extra million in attendance from being a contender will make him slightly more money.
The lowlife Reds ownership got what they deserved!!
Im guessing most comments railing against the lottery system are likely from fans whose teams perennially tank to get a good draft pick.. well boo hoo.. This system is better than letting the worst team be the worst to get the top pick. Is it perfect? No, but thats what adjustments are for.. Its still better than whats been going on with tanking…
It’s mostly from fans of small market clubs who know the draft is the only way their teams have a prayer of a chance and that is only for a 3-4 year period if all the stars happen to laugh right.
I laugh at the large market fans who don’t understand the sad state of the game of baseball outside their little bubble.
Why do good things happen to insanely awful ownership?
So the Yankees or Astros get another 1st round pick level talent in like 7 years. Not sure which front office is worse the Pirates or my Rockies ♂️
The Pirates are gonna do what they do best: NOT go for the best talent because they don’t want to pay for it. They’ll go for a lesser guy who they can sign cheaper to that rookie bonus.. So the Nats and Tigers are sitting there salivating at the consensus best 2 players knowing they’ll get them.
When have they done this before?
Bryan Bullington
@ DeGrom Texas Ranger That’s disinformation. Even though he was a awful pick the Pirates paid twice as much as he was worth, the third most of all the 1st round picks and only 600 grand less than the highest bonus paid. Would you like to try again?
I was just talking about overall performance. I was not commenting on expectations at the time; just looking back on that one.
Thanks for clearing that up.
poorly educated regarding the Pirates, bykoric?
They always choose the player who fits into their needs
A #1 pick doesn’t guarantee a super star
Just ask Billy Beane
What a joke
Ooh a number 1 pick that might help their rebuild at some point in the next 10 years it lasts
Thanks captain obvious. There’s not a perfect fix for tanking but to be upset that Pittsburgh got the number 1 pick is pretty stupid.
The Pirates have actually done really well drafting the last several years, and have paid for top talent where they see fit. The Pirates not drafting talent due to financial responsibility is a tired narrative. I believe what most are thinking of are the 2007 Daniel Moskos and 2009 Tony Sanchez picks which were ridiculous.
MLB teams don’t deliberately come in last place in order to improve their draft order. Rarely is the number one overall the best MLB player. There’s no benefit to having the worst record in MLB.
Pirates always gaming the lottery.
I can’t wait until that overall #1 draft pick gets traded to the Yankees in 5-6 years.
Don’t watch soccer.
A sport played by heathens…..to honor, kicking around the head of your enemy.
BARBARIC!
There is a conspiracy.
Remember, America is the leader of the freeworld.
We didn’t teach the Japanese to play baseball just to have a bunch of heathen Europeans RUIN EVERYTHING WE HAVE WORKED FOR?????
What a kick in the balls to the A’s dropping down to the 6th pick. Maybe it’s collective punishment for operating with a $23 payroll.
Mets and Yankees drop 10 spots each. They both exceeded the first CBT threshold by more than $40M.
Tigers, for once, won something too. Moved up from 6 to 3. With new GM Harris and new head of scouting maybe they do better than recent past.
As a Dodger fan, I like this new format. Here’s to winning 110 more games next season and getting knocked out in the first round again!
MLB needs most of their teams to atleast be interesting now to please their large scale sports gambling partners.