Overview
- At the Winter Meetings in Orlando, MLB set the top six as Chicago, Tampa Bay, Minnesota, San Francisco, Pittsburgh and Kansas City.
- Chicago had the best odds at 27.73% after a 60–102 season and now holds its first No. 1 selection since 1977, when it drafted Harold Baines.
- Colorado (43–119), Washington and Los Angeles were barred from top-six positions by lottery rules and are slotted 10th through 12th.
- High-payroll teams incurred 10-spot draft penalties for exceeding Competitive Balance Tax thresholds, affecting the Dodgers, Blue Jays, Phillies, Yankees and Mets.
- The 2026 draft is scheduled for July 11–12 in Philadelphia, and UCLA shortstop Roch Cholowsky is viewed as the early favorite for the top pick.