Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
USA Today Sports Media Group
USA Today Sports Media Group
Sport
Charles Curtis

MLB Draft lottery odds: Which team has the best shot at the No. 1 pick in 2024?

The 2024 MLB Draft lottery is here, and it means we’re out here rooting for ping-pong balls just like we do in the NBA and in the NHL.

Here’s what you need to know before we dive into the odds: all the non-playoff teams are lottery eligible for the top pick initially, with the worst teams (hello, Oakland A’s). But you won’t see the Washington Nationals on this list because they were selected last year, and because they pay revenue sharing money, they’re not eligible this year. The top six teams will be chosen, and then picks No. 7 to 18 be filled by the rest of the franchises by standings order.

Then, three teams will be docked: The New York Mets, New York Yankees and San Diego Padres. That’s because they spent into the second tier of salaries into the competitive balance tax. Per MLB.com: “they will have their first overall pick dropped 10 spots — unless they get a top six pick in the lottery, in which case their second-highest pick will be dropped 10 spots.”

Let’s dive into the odds for every team:

1
Oakland A's: 18.3%

 (Scott Strazzante/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)

2
Kansas City Royals: 18.3%

Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports

3
Colorado Rockies: 18.3%

 (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

4
Chicago White Sox: 14.7%

Stan Szeto-USA TODAY Sports

5
St. Louis Cardinals: 8.3%

Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports

6
Los Angeles Angels: 6.1%

Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports 

7
New York Mets

(Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images) 

8
Pittsburgh Pirates: 3.0%

 (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar) 

9
Cleveland Guardians

Jonathan Dyer-USA TODAY Sports

10
Detroit Tigers: 1.6%

 (Photo by Duane Burleson/Getty Images)

11
Boston Red Sox: 1.2%

Paul Rutherford-USA TODAY Sports

12
San Francisco Giants: 1.0%

Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

13
Cincinnati Reds: 0.9%

 (AP Photo/Jeff Dean)

14
San Diego Padres: 0.7%

Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports 

15
New York Yankees: 0.6%

(AP Photo/Adam Hunger) 

16
Chicago Cubs: 0.4%

David Reginek-USA TODAY Sports

17
Seattle Mainers: 0.2%

 Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports
Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.