The MLB Draft is just over a week away. It’s not as immediately franchise-altering as the NBA and NFL drafts, but it’s still a time to celebrate the future of the sport. More than 600 eligible players from around the United States and its territories and Canada will get their names called by major league teams. From there, they’ll decide whether to begin their professional careers or continue on as amateurs.
Before the draft starts off in Seattle — this is the third draft in a row taking place in the same city and during the same week as the All-Star Game — here’s what you need to know.
Who has the No. 1 pick in the draft and why?
The Pittsburgh Pirates will be the first on the clock for the second time in three years.
You may be wondering why the Washington Nationals aren’t the owners of the first pick after they posted the worst record in the major leagues last year. It’s because the Pirates won the draft lottery, which took place for the first time ahead of this year’s selection process. It occurred during the 2022 Winter Meetings. For the draft lottery, the 18 teams that missed the playoffs were assigned odds based on the prior year’s win percentage, with the worst winning percentage getting the best odds. Then a draw determined the order of the top six selections. Pittsburgh was the first team selected. Washington came second and was followed by the Detroit Tigers, the Texas Rangers, the Minnesota Twins and the Oakland A’s.
Who has the most money to spend in the draft’s first 10 rounds?
The Pirates have the biggest bonus pool at $16,185,700. It’s the biggest pool by $438,500. Despite picking third, the Tigers are next with $15,747,200. The Nationals are third with $14,502,400. The team with the least amount of money to spend in the top 10 rounds is the Philadelphia Phillies ($5,185,500). Find the full list of bonus pool figures at MLB.com.
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