A's hoping for better fortunes in 2026 MLB Draft Lottery

ORLANDO, Fla. -- On the eve of the 2026 MLB Draft Lottery, the Athletics front office is hopeful that the third time could be a charm.

The A’s were snakebitten in each of the first two iterations of the lottery process, which began in 2023. Despite twice carrying the best odds to land the first overall pick, they fell out of the top three both times. Last year, they were ineligible for the lottery and could pick no earlier than 10th in the 2025 Draft due to receiving revenue-sharing payouts and holding lottery picks in '23 and '24.

This year, the A’s are back in the lottery, which takes place on Tuesday at 2:30 p.m. PT from the Winter Meetings in Orlando, holding the fifth-best odds to land the top overall selection for the 2026 MLB Draft. They are one of 15 teams eligible for the lottery and have enlisted A’s Hall of Famer and three-time World Series champion Joe Rudi to represent the team at the event for good luck. Here is the full list in order of the odds of getting the No. 1 pick, with their 2025 winning percentages in parentheses:

White Sox (.370) -- 27.73%
Twins (.432) -- 22.18%
Pirates (.438) -- 16.81%
Orioles (.463) -- 9.24%
A’s (.469) -- 6.55%
Braves (.469) -- 4.54%
Rays (.475) -- 3.03%
Cardinals (.481) -- 2.35%
Marlins (.488) -- 1.85%
D-backs (.494) -- 1.51%
Rangers (.500) -- 1.34%
Giants (.500) -- 1.01%
Royals (.506) -- 0.84%
Mets (.512) -- 0.67%
Astros (.537) -- 0.34%
Rockies (.265) -- ineligible
Nationals (.407) -- ineligible
Angels (.444) -- ineligible

Huddled up inside the club’s suite at the Waldorf Astoria Orlando on Monday night, most of the A’s front office members were optimistic about reversing their Draft lottery fortunes this time around … save for scouting director Eric Kubota, who audibly let out a groan when asked about the team’s odds.

“Eric doesn’t feel like we’re due,” A’s general manager David Forst said with a laugh. “The rest of us feel like we’re due. It’s nice to have the opportunity.”

Though the pingpong balls have not fallen in the A’s favor to this point, it’s hard to consider the past few Drafts anything but a success. Their top picks in '24 and '23 -- Nick Kurtz and Jacob Wilson -- finished 1-2 in American League Rookie of the Year voting and now headline a talented young core looking to help lift the A’s back to playoff contention in '26. Left-hander Jamie Arnold, whom they selected 11th overall in July, is currently ranked as the A’s No. 2 prospect and the No. 38 overall prospect in baseball by MLB Pipeline.

“Obviously, we feel like we’ve capitalized on our Draft spot very well the last couple of years,” Forst said. “But it’s exciting to think there might be a chance to pick near the top again.”

RULE 5 DECISION

The Rule 5 Draft takes place on Wednesday, and one of the more notable players eligible to be selected is A’s No. 11 prospect Daniel Susac. The catcher and first-round selection by the A’s in the 2022 MLB Draft hit .275 with an .832 OPS, 18 homers, 19 doubles and 68 RBIs in 97 games with Triple-A Las Vegas in '25. But with Shea Langeliers and Austin Wynns already on the big league club and 40-man roster spots at a premium, the A’s are taking a risk by not adding Susac and potentially losing him to another team this winter.

“I talked to Daniel when we made that decision to make sure he understood,” Forst said. “We have to make moves over the course of the offseason and you know that anyone you either select to the roster or take in the Rule 5 Draft is occupying that spot for the foreseeable future. Sometimes you have to make a call. Daniel was great. He understood. He knows there’s potentially an opportunity if he gets selected. He also knows full well that if he doesn’t and he’s here, he’s still in the conversation for the big leagues for the A’s.”