It’s That Time of Year Again

Yes, it’s that time of year, folks.

While drafts in other major sports, most notably the NFL Draft, generate a lot of excitement, the MLB Draft seems to take a backseat. Maybe it’s because of its length—20 rounds for baseball compared to seven for football and just two for basketball—or perhaps it’s the reality that many drafted players spend several years in the minors. Whatever the reason, the MLB Draft rarely reaches the hype levels of its counterparts.

Yet, starting Saturday, more than 600 prospects will be hearing their names called in Philadelphia, potentially setting off a path toward the All-Star Game.

Before we dive in, let’s talk about how the first round is structured.

The draft order will be determined through a lottery system. Eighteen teams that missed the playoffs last season get a shot at it. The team with the worst record from the previous year has the best odds of securing the top pick, which sets the order for the first six selections. The following twelve teams, also from the non-playoff group, are picked in order of their regular season performance, from worst to least worst.

After these eighteen franchises, the remaining first-round spots will be filled according to playoff results, with the World Series champion getting the last pick of the first round.

There are also a few additional segments before the second round kicks off.

First up is the “Lead Promotion Incentive Picks.” According to the rules, if a player ranks among the top 100 preseason prospects from sources like MLB Pipeline, Baseball America, or ESPN, and subsequently makes a team’s Opening Day roster while winning the Rookie of the Year or placing in the MVP or Cy Young voting, that team earns an extra pick after the first round. This year, the Atlanta Braves (who will select 26th due to Drake Baldwin winning the League Rookie of the Year) and the Houston Astros (28th pick because Hunter Brown was third in the American League Cy Young voting) have benefited from this rule.

Interestingly, the New York Mets have the 27th pick but have faced a 10-slot penalty for exceeding the second threshold of the MLB Competitive Balance Tax, dropping them from 17th place, and this isn’t a special promotion pick.

Then we have compensation picks. These are granted to teams that receive revenue sharing and lose a free agent who signs for a minimum of $50 million. But, oddly, no teams qualified for such picks this year in the 2026 draft.

Lastly, we have “Competitive Balance Round A.” Since 2017, MLB has employed a formula that involves revenue, winning records, and market size to allocate draft picks to teams in the bottom tier of revenue. This year, there are fifteen eligible teams, with seven participating in Competitive Balance Round A and eight in Round B. The teams are ranked based on their previous year’s performance.

Moreover, the teams alternate between Round A and Round B yearly.

This year’s seven teams in Competitive Balance Round A are the Cleveland Guardians, Kansas City Royals, Arizona Diamondbacks, Baltimore Orioles, Pittsburgh Pirates, and Colorado Rockies.

Interestingly, these are the only draft picks in the MLB that can be traded.

So, how does this affect the first round? The Guardians hold the 29th pick, which they traded to the San Francisco Giants in the Patrick Bailey deal, meaning the Giants will actually take that spot. Next up, the Royals will sit at 30th, followed by the Diamondbacks at 31st and the Cardinals at 32nd. The Orioles, who traded their pick for Shane Baz, will have moved their spot to the Tampa Bay Rays, allowing Tampa to pick at 33rd, then the Pirates at 34th.

The New York Yankees follow in 35th position, and the Philadelphia Phillies are in 36th.

To clarify, both the Yankees and Mets have each suffered a 10-position penalty on their first picks for exceeding CBT’s second surcharge standard. Thus, like the Mets, the Yankees dropped from 25th to 35th, while the Phillies fell from 26th to 36th.

In conclusion, the Rockies wrapped up the first round in 37th place.

Here are the standings for the first round of the 2026 MLB Draft. Keep in mind, the Prospect Promotion incentive picks start at No. 26 for the Braves, with Competitive Balance Round A picks beginning at No. 29 for the Giants.