2026 Major League Baseball draft

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The 2026 Major League Baseball draft will take place on July 11–13, 2026, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.[1] The draft assigns amateur baseball players from the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico to Major League Baseball teams.

2026 Major League Baseball draft
General information
SportBaseball
DateJuly 12–13, 2026
LocationTBD
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
NetworksMLB Network (first three rounds)
NBC (first round)
MLB.com
Overview
LeagueMajor League Baseball
First selection
Chicago White Sox
First round selections38
 2025
2027 

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

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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]

Denotes lottery winner
Denotes team that did not win lottery
Ineligible to receive lottery pick
Seed Team 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th
1Chicago White Sox 27.7%
2Minnesota Twins 22.2%
3Pittsburgh Pirates 16.8%
4Baltimore Orioles 9.2%
5Athletics 6.5%
6Atlanta Braves 4.5%
7Tampa Bay Rays 3.0%
8St. Louis Cardinals 2.3%
9Miami Marlins 1.8%
N/A Colorado Rockies
Washington Nationals
Los Angeles Angels
10Arizona Diamondbacks 1.5%
11Texas Rangers 1.3%
12San Francisco Giants 1.0%
13Kansas City Royals 0.8%
14New York Mets 0.6%
15Houston Astros 0.3%

Draft selections

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Key
All-Star
* Player did not sign

First round

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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.

Pick Player Team Position School
1 Chicago White Sox
2 Tampa Bay Rays
3 Minnesota Twins
4 San Francisco Giants
5 Pittsburgh Pirates
6 Kansas City Royals
7 Baltimore Orioles
8 Athletics
9 Atlanta Braves
10 Colorado Rockies
11 Washington Nationals
12 Los Angeles Angels
13 St. Louis Cardinals
14 Miami Marlins
15 Arizona Diamondbacks
16 Texas Rangers
17 Houston Astros
18 Cincinnati Reds
19 Cleveland Guardians
20 Boston Red Sox
21 San Diego Padres
22 Detroit Tigers
23 Chicago Cubs
24 Seattle Mariners
25 Milwaukee Brewers

Prospect Promotion Incentive Picks

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Competitive Balance Round A

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Second round

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Competitive Balance Round B

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Pick Player Team Position School
67 Milwaukee Brewers
68 St. Louis Cardinals (from Seattle)[Trades 3]
69 Detroit Tigers
70 Cincinnati Reds
71 Miami Marlins
72 St. Louis Cardinals (from Tampa Bay)[Trades 4]
73 Athletics
74 Minnesota Twins

Compensatory round

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Pick Player Team Position School
75 Chicago Cubs[Compensation 1]

Other notable selections

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Notes

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Incentive picks
  1. Received for Drake Baldwin winning National Rookie of the Year
  2. Received for Hunter Brown finishing in top 3 of Cy Young voting
Pick Penalty
  1. The Mets exceeded the second competitive-balance tax threshold, which means their first pick will get moved down 10 spots.
  2. The Yankees exceeded the second competitive-balance tax threshold, which means their first pick will get moved down 10 spots.
  3. The Phillies exceeded the second competitive-balance tax threshold, which means their first pick will get moved down 10 spots.
  4. The Blue Jays exceeded the second competitive-balance tax threshold, which means their first pick will get moved down 10 spots.
  5. The Dodgers exceeded the second competitive-balance tax threshold, which means their first pick will get moved down 10 spots.
Forfeited
  1. The Blue Jays forfeited their second-round selection as a result of signing Dylan Cease.
  2. The Dodgers forfeited their second-round selection as a result of signing Kyle Tucker.
Compensation picks
  1. Compensation pick for the Los Angeles Dodgers signing Kyle Tucker
  2. Compensation pick for the Detroit Tigers signing Framber Valdez
  3. Compensation pick for the Toronto Blue Jays signing Dylan Cease
  4. Compensation pick for the Boston Red Sox signing Ranger Suárez
Trades
  1. The San Francisco Giants acquired a Competitive Balance Round A pick from the Cleveland Guardians as a result of a trade on May 9, 2026 that sent catcher Patrick Bailey to Cleveland in exchange for left-handed pitcher Matt Wilkinson and this pick.[7]
  2. The Tampa Bay Rays acquired a Competitive Balance Round A pick from the Baltimore Orioles as a result of a trade on December 19, 2025 that sent right-handed pitcher Shane Baz to Baltimore in exchange for catcher Caden Bodine, outfielder Slater de Brun, outfielder Austin Overn, right-handed pitcher Michael Forret and this pick.[8]
  3. The St. Louis Cardinals acquired a Competitive Balance Round B pick from the Seattle Mariners as a result of a three-team trade on February 2, 2026 that sent utility player Brendan Donovan to Seattle in exchange for pitcher Jurrangelo Cijntje, outfielder Tai Peete, outfielder Colton Ledbetter and this pick.[9]
  4. The St. Louis Cardinals acquired a Competitive Balance Round B pick from the Tampa Bay Rays as a result of a three-team trade on February 2, 2026 that sent third baseman Ben Williamson to Tampa Bay in exchange for this pick.[9]
Incentive picks
  1. Compensation for unsigned 2025 No. 50 overall pick Angel Cervantes.

References

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