With the MLB Playoffs underway and the Los Angeles Angels — for the eighth consecutive season — watching from home, they have time to begin exploring the 2023 MLB Draft class. In prior years, the Angels would automatically be selecting with the 10th overall pick, but things have changed this year.
Due to the new Collective Bargaining Agreement, a draft lottery system has been implemented. Now, all 18 teams that do not make the playoffs take part in a lottery that awards the top six picks in the draft. The remaining 12 are organized by reverse order of record.
The only restrictions to the lottery are that a revenue-sharing team cannot receive a top-six pick more than two years in a row, and a non-revenue sharing team cannot receive a top-six pick in consecutive years.
The teams with the three worst records in 2022 — the Nationals, A’s and Pirates — have flattened odds (16.5 percent each) to get the No. 1 overall pick via the lottery. The NBA is similar with the top four teams having flattened lottery odds.
All 18 non-playoff teams will have the chance to land No. 1 overall, including the Angels. The other teams will have declining percentages in reverse order of their records, down to 0.23 percent for the non-playoff club with the highest winning percentage.
The Draft remains at 20 rounds, with the lottery order only applying to the first round. In rounds 2-20, the non-playoff clubs will choose in reverse order of record.
Meanwhile, the playoff clubs will choose in reverse order of their postseason finish (Wild Card losers, Division Series losers, Championship Series loser, World Series loser, World Series winner). Within each of those playoff groups, teams will be sorted by revenue-sharing status and then reverse order of winning percentage.
Lottery Odds for No. 1 Overall Pick
1. Nationals (55-107), 16.5 pct
2. A’s (60-102), 16.5
3. Pirates (62-100), 16.5
4. Reds (62-100), 13.25
5. Royals (65-97), 10.0
6. Tigers (66-96), 7.50
7. Rangers (68-94), 5.50
8. Rockies (68-94), 3.90
9. Marlins (69-93), 2.70
10. Angels (73-89), 1.80
11. D-backs (74-88), 1.40
12. Cubs (74-88), 1.10
13. Twins (78-84), 0.90
14. Red Sox (78-84), 0.76
15. White Sox (81-81), 0.62
16. Giants (81-81), 0.48
17. Orioles (83-79), 0.36
18. Brewers (86-76), 0.23