White Sox win MLB Draft Lottery, will pick first overall in 2026 originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
The Chicago White Sox will own the top pick in the 2026 MLB Draft after winning the draft lottery on Tuesday.
The White Sox finished the 2025 MLB season with the second-worst record in baseball, going 60-102 a year after setting an MLB record for most losses in a single season.
After the 2025 season the White Sox were ineligible to participate in the draft lottery because they had won a slot in the 2024 draft, but this time around they had the best odds of capturing the top pick, with a more than 27% chance of earning that selection.
That is exactly what happened during the MLB Draft Lottery at the winter meetings on Tuesday, meaning that the White Sox will have the chance to add an explosive player to their farm system.
The Tampa Bay Rays vaulted up to the second slot in the draft order, with the Minnesota Twins, San Francisco Giants and Pittsburgh Pirates rounding out the top-five.
The Kansas City Royals will pick six, meaning that three of the top-six picks are owned by American League Central clubs.
According to Jonathan Mayo of MLB Pipeline, the 2026 draft class is loaded with college positional players, headlined by UCLA shortstop Roch Cholowsky, Alabama shortstop Justin Lebron, and Georgia Tech outfielder Drew Burress.
High school shortstops Grady Emerson and Jacob Lombard are also at the top of the projected draft list, along with LSU outfielder Derek Curiel.
The 2026 MLB Draft will take place July 12-13, 2026 in Philadelphia as part of the league’s All-Star weekend.
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