The 2024 MLB Draft Lottery was held on Tuesday from the site of the Winter Meetings in Nashville. At total of 17 non-playoff teams had an opportunity to earn the No. 1 pick in the coming draft.
Odds were headlined by the Oakland Athletics, Kansas City Royals and Colorado Rockies all boasting an 18.3% chance of nabbing the top selection. The Cleveland Guardians had a 2% chance of picking No. 1 overall.
But when it comes to balls bouncing in the right direction, Cleveland got lucky. Despite that 2% chance, the Guardians got the top pick in the annual event. About the soon-to-be Las Vegas Athletics? They will pick No. 4 overall when the event comes calling in July.
2024 MLB Draft Lottery results (odd in parenthesis)
- Guardians (9)
- Reds (13)
- Rockies (T-1)
- A’s (T-1)
- White Sox (4)
- Royals (T-1)
- Cardinals (5)
- Angels (6)
- Pirates (8)
- Nationals (N/A)
- Tigers (10)
- Red Sox (11)
- Giants (12)
- Cubs (16)
- Mariners (17)
- Marlins (N/A)
- Brewers (N/A)
- Rays (N/A)
Cleveland Guardians luck out
West Virginia infielder JJ Wetherholt is seen as the top prospect in the draft followed by Wake Forest first baseman Nick Kurtz. The top pitcher is seen as Chase Burns, also from Wake Forest.
While there is not a generational prospect in the 2024 draft, Cleveland’s ability to acquire the first pick will go a long way in the team returning to relevance after a down 76-win season.
The unlucky Oakland Athletics
Set to relocate to Las Vegas in time for the 2028 MLB season, the A’s are coming off a 50-112 campaign. It represented their worst single-season performance since back in 1946 when they were in Philadelphia.
Boasting MLB’s smallest payroll and a much-maligned owner in Josh Fisher, winning the MLB Draft Lottery would have been huge for the A’s. Alas, that was not to be. People had their reactions to the A’s bad luck of the draw, too.