The top of the 2026 Draft won’t be set until the MLB Draft Lottery plays out on Dec. 9. But the overall Draft order is beginning to take shape, now that the Competitive Balance rounds are set.
Since 2017, Major League Baseball has used a formula that combines revenue, winning percentage and market score to award Draft picks to teams that fall in the bottom 10 in revenue or market size. In 2025, there were 15 teams awarded picks in the two CB rounds: eight in Round A and seven in Round B.
This year, there are 15 teams: seven in Round A and eight in Round B.
Competitive Balance Round A takes place between the first-round compensation picks and the second round, while Round B is held after the second round is over. The order of the picks within each round is determined by order of finish in the previous year’s standings, best down to worst.
That order is as follows:
Round A:
- Guardians
- Royals
- D-backs
- Cardinals
- Orioles
- Pirates
- Rockies
Round B:
- Brewers
- Mariners
- Tigers
- Reds
- Marlins
- Rays
- A's
- Twins
Competitive Balance round picks are the only MLB Draft picks that can be traded, and they are not subject to forfeiture – unless the pick in question has already been traded.
Here's how the Draft order looks at this point:
All non-playoff teams are entered into a lottery for the top six picks. This year, 15 of those 18 teams are eligible for the lottery. Here they are, listed in order of the odds of them 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
Since the Rockies received a lottery pick in the 2024 and '25 Drafts, they are not eligible for this year’s lottery -- teams cannot receive a lottery pick in more than two consecutive years. The Nationals and Angels are “payor clubs” -- teams that give rather than receive revenue sharing dollars -- and payors cannot receive a lottery pick in consecutive years.
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. If, however, the Mets get a top-six pick in the lottery, they'll keep that pick and their second pick will be moved down 10 spots. There is a small chance of that occurring, though, so the below assumes that the Mets do not receive a lottery pick.
18. Reds
19. Guardians
20. Red Sox
21. Padres
22. Tigers
23. Cubs
24. Mariners
25. Brewers
26. Braves (Prospect Promotion Incentive pick for Drake Baldwin winning NL Rookie of the Year)
27. Mets (Round 1 pick + 10-pick penalty)
28. Astros (Prospect Promotion Incentive pick for Hunter Brown placing in the top three in Cy Young voting)
29. Guardians (Competitive Balance A)
30. Royals (Competitive Balance A)
31. D-backs (Competitive Balance A)
32. Cardinals (Competitive Balance A)
33. Orioles (Competitive Balance A)
34. Pirates (Competitive Balance A)
35. Yankees (Round 1 pick + 10-pick penalty)
36. Phillies (Round 1 pick + 10-pick penalty)
37. Rockies (Competitive Balance A)
38. Rockies (Round 2)
39. Blue Jays (Round 1 pick + 10-pick penalty)
40. Dodgers (Round 1 pick + 10-pick penalty
The lottery results don't affect picks 1-18 in rounds 2-20, which will be in reverse order of winning percentage:
Rockies (.265)
White Sox (.370)
Nationals (.407)
Twins (.432)
Pirates (.438)
Angels (.444)
Orioles (.463)
A’s (.469)
Braves (.469)
Rays (.475)
Cardinals (.481)
Marlins (.488)
D-backs (.494)
Rangers (.500)
Giants (.500)
Royals (.506)
Mets (.512)
Astros (.537)
The order of the postseason teams is determined by when they get eliminated, revenue-sharing status and then winning percentages. Those 12 teams will choose in the following order: Wild Card Series losers, Division Series losers, Championship Series losers, World Series loser, World Series winner. Within each of those groups, clubs will be sorted by revenue-sharing status, with payee clubs selecting before non-payee clubs. Here's how those picks shake out:
Reds
Guardians
Red Sox
Padres
Tigers
Cubs
Yankees
Phillies
Mariners
Brewers
Blue Jays
Dodgers
There are also several compensation picks that will be added once free agents who rejected qualifying offers sign with new teams.
Thus far, Dylan Cease, who inked a 7-year deal with the Blue Jays this week, is the only player to reject a qualifying offer and sign with a new team this winter. As compensation, the Padres will receive a CBA pick after the completion of Round 4.
Here are the remaining unsigned free agents who declined the QA and what compensation each team stands to get:
Phillies – Kyle Schwarber: Pick after Round 4
Phillies – Ranger Suárez: Pick after Round 4
Cubs – Kyle Tucker: Pick after Competitive Balance Round B
Astros – Framber Valdez: Pick after Round 4
Blue Jays – Bo Bichette: Pick after Round 4
Mets – Edwin Díaz: Pick after Round 4
D-Backs – Zac Gallen: Pick between Round 1 and Competitive Balance Round A (if signed for at least $50 million); pick after Competitive Balance Round B (if he signs for less than $50 million)
Padres – Michael King: Pick after Round 4