When the 2018 season ended, the 2019 Draft order started to take shape, as that is decided by the reverse order of the standings. By virtue of finishing with the worst record in the Major Leagues this past season, the Baltimore Orioles will have the No. 1 pick in the 2019 Draft.
After the Orioles, the Royals, White Sox, Marlins and Tigers round out the top five. Picks 6 through 10 will go to the Padres, Reds, Rangers, Braves and Giants. All are in reverse order of standings except for the Braves, who get a compensation pick for not signing 2018 first-rounder Carter Stewart.
A few more details are clear now as the Competitive Balance rounds are set.
• Complete 2019 Draft order
Competitive Balance Rounds A and B take place after the completion of the first and second rounds, respectively. No longer determined by lottery, all teams that fell in the bottom 10 in revenue or bottom 10 in market size got a pick in Round A in 2017, after the first round, or Round B, following the second round. A formula that takes revenue and winning percentage into account was used to award six Round A picks in 2017, with eight teams getting Comp Round B picks that year.
Last year, the groups of teams switched places, with eight Comp Round A picks and six in Round B, with Major League Baseball re-running the aforementioned formula. No teams dropped out, but the order in each round changed as a result.
The 2019 Comp Round A will be back to six picks, with the Marlins, Rays, Reds, A's, Brewers and Twins, in that order, getting selections that currently will be picks 34 through 40 (the Pirates have a supplemental pick at No. 37 for not signing Gunnar Hoglund, the 36th pick in 2018). The Round B order will be Royals, Orioles, Prates, Padres, D-backs, Rockies, Indians and Cardinals. As of now, those selections will be picks No. 71 through 78.
The order and current pick numbers of Competitive Balance Rounds A and B are below. Pick numbers are subject to change based on trades (Competitive Balance Round picks can be traded) and qualifying offer free-agent signings. Click here for the complete Draft order, including updates due to free-agent signings.
Round A
34. Miami Marlins
35. Tampa Bay Rays
36. Cincinnati Reds
37. Pittsburgh Pirates*
38. Oakland A's
39. Milwaukee Brewers
40. Minnesota Twins

• Compensation for not signing Gunnar Hoglund in 2018
  Round B
  

71. Kansas City Royals
    
72. Baltimore Orioles
    
73. Pittsburgh Pirates
    
74. San Diego Padres
    
75. Arizona Diamondbacks
    
76. Colorado Rockies
    
77. Cleveland Indians
    
78. St. Louis Cardinals
    There are still changes that will come to the Draft order, starting with what happens with qualifying-offer free agent signing deals. Those deals will have some impact on what the Draft beyond the top picks looks like. Six of the seven free agents who received offers rejected them, with Dodgers lefty Hyun-Jin Ryu took a one-year, $17.9 million offer, becoming only the sixth player to accept among the 80 to receive offers since 2012.
    Here are the six free agents who declined a qualifying offer, and what Draft compensation their 2018 teams stand to receive if the players sign elsewhere:
    Astros -- Dallas Keuchel: Pick after Competitive Balance Round B
    D-backs -- Patrick Corbin and A.J. Pollock:
    A) If either player signs for at least $50 million: Pick between 1st round and Competitive Balance Round A
    B) If either player signs for less than $50 million: Pick after Competitive Balance Round B
    Dodgers -- Yasmani Grandal: Pick after Competitive Balance Round B
    Nationals -- Bryce Harper: Pick after Round 4
    Red Sox -- Craig Kimbrel: Pick after Round 4