NASHVILLE, Tenn. — In a surprising turn of events at baseball’s winter meetings, the Cleveland Guardians emerged as the winners of the 2024 MLB amateur draft lottery. This victory marks the first time in franchise history that the Guardians will have the first overall pick in the MLB draft next summer.
Despite having just a 2% chance of securing the top pick, the Guardians defied the odds, beating out eight other teams, including the Oakland Athletics, Kansas City Royals, and Colorado Rockies, all of which had much higher probabilities of claiming the first selection.
The Cincinnati Reds will follow the Guardians with the second pick in the draft, which is scheduled for July 14 in Arlington, Texas. The draft order then proceeds with Colorado, Oakland, the Chicago White Sox, Kansas City, St. Louis, the Los Angeles Angels, Pittsburgh, and Washington.
Cleveland’s initial triumph in the lottery was later nullified as a result of a collective bargaining agreement stipulation. Teams participating in the revenue-sharing plan cannot hold lottery picks in consecutive years, and the Washington Nationals had already chosen outfielder Dylan Crews as the No. 2 selection in the previous draft. Subsequently, the pingpong balls were redrawn, and the Guardians secured the top pick.
The Guardians’ ascent to the first overall pick comes after they finished the 2023 season with a record of 76-86, tied for the 22nd-best record among all 30 MLB teams. According to the lottery odds, Cleveland made a remarkable leap from the ninth slot to secure the coveted top pick. Similarly, the Cincinnati Reds climbed from the 13th position to claim the second overall selection.
The 2024 MLB Draft Projected Order is as follows:
1. Cleveland Guardians
2. Cincinnati Reds
3. Colorado Rockies
4. Oakland Athletics
5. Chicago White Sox
6. Kansas City Royals
7. St. Louis Cardinals
8. Los Angeles Angels
9. Pittsburgh Pirates
10. Washington Nationals
11. Detroit Tigers
12. Boston Red Sox
13. San Francisco Giants
14. Chicago Cubs
15. Seattle Mariners
16. Miami Marlins
17. Milwaukee Brewers
18. Tampa Bay Rays
19. New York Mets
20. Toronto Blue Jays
21. Minnesota Twins
22. Baltimore Orioles
23. Los Angeles Dodgers
24. Atlanta Braves
25. San Diego Padres
26. New York Yankees
27. Philadelphia Phillies
28. Houston Astros
29. Arizona Diamondbacks
30. Texas Rangers
Cleveland has previously held the second overall pick five times since the inception of the amateur draft in 1965, with Paul Shuey being their last selection in that position in 1992.
Several promising prospects, including West Virginia infielder JJ Wetherholt, Wake Forest first baseman Nick Kurtz, right-hander Chase Burns, Oregon State second baseman Travis Bazzana, and Florida first baseman and left-hander Jac Caglianone, are early contenders for the top picks in the upcoming draft.
The MLB draft lottery, introduced in the new collective bargaining agreement, provides an opportunity for the 18 teams that do not reach the postseason to vie for the first six selections. The subsequent picks from seventh to 18th place are determined by reverse winning percentages, followed by postseason performance.
Notably, the New York Mets, New York Yankees, and San Diego Padres are expected to drop ten slots in the draft due to exceeding the threshold for the second luxury tax surcharge and not securing top-six picks in the lottery. Consequently, the Mets are projected to pick 19th, the Padres 25th, and the Yankees 26th.
The Oakland Athletics, who finished with the worst record in the MLB at 50-112, fell to the fourth overall pick after being in the sixth position the previous year. As a result, they will be ineligible for a top-six selection in the 2025 draft, having received revenue-sharing funds and securing two consecutive top-six picks.
The Pittsburgh Pirates claimed victory in the inaugural draft lottery last year and selected pitcher Paul Skenes as the first overall pick.