Pirates Get Top-Five Pick in 2026 MLB Draft
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PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates found out when they'll pick in the 2026 MLB Draft after the Draft Lottery concluded at the Winter Meetings in Orlando, Fla.
The Pirates secured a pick in the lottery once again, earning one of the top selections at No. 5 overall in the 2026 MLB Draft.
Pittsburgh will now have a chance to get one of the best players in next year's draft and have them as a crucial building piece for the future.
What Were the Pirates Chances for a Lottery Pick?
Pittsburgh had the third-best chance of landing the first overall pick in the 2026 MLB Draft at 16.81%. Only the Chicago White Sox at 27.73% and the Minnesota Twins at 22.18% have a better shot than them.
The MLB Draft Lottery is set by the teams with the worst record, with the White Sox and Twins having worse records than the Pirates.
Two teams that would've had a better shot at the first overall pick but didn't qualify, included the Colorado Rockies, who had the worst record at 43-119, and the Washington Nationals, who had the third-worst record at 66-96.
Colorado received lottery picks in the 2024 and 2025 drafts and couldn't get a lottery pick for a third consecutive season, since they are a large market team.
Washington and also the Los Angeles Angels, who had a better record than the Pirates are both "payor clubs", which are ball clubs that pay into revenue sharing, rather than receive money from it, which made them ineligible for a lottery pick in consecutive drafts.
MLB Draft Lottery Results
Pittsburgh fell two spots below where they would've finished based on the odds, with the San Francisco Giants coming in at fourth, the Twins in third, the Tampa Bay Rays in second and the White Sox with the first overall pick. The Kansas City Royals got the sixth overall pick, the final lottery pick for the 2026 MLB Draft.
The remaining teams that missed out on a lottery pick included the Baltimore Orioles (7th), Athletics (8th), Atlanta Braves (9th), Rockies (10th), Nationals (11th), Angels (12th), St. Louis Cardinals (13th), Miami Marlins (14th), Arizona Diamondbacks (15th), Texas Rangers (16th) and Houston Astros (17th).
San Francisco and Tampa Bay both saw big jumps from their odds, with San Franciso at just 1.01% for the top pick and Tampa Bay at 3.03%.
What Happens Since the Pirates Won the Lottery?
The Pirates get another chance at one of the best talents in baseball, but also will lose out next year.
Pittsburgh won't get a pick higher than 10th in the 2027 MLB Draft since they won a lottery pick this season.
With aspirations of making the postseason for 2026, the Pirates should absolutely have no issue with winning the lottery and picking lower than 10th, as they would do so if they make the playoffs.
Pirates History in the Draft Lottery
The MLB Draft didn't have a draft lottery until the 2023 MLB Draft, which saw the Pirates win the first-ever inaugural draft lottery.
Pittsburgh used that pick and took right-handed pitcher Paul Skenes out of LSU, signing him to a record $9.2 million bonus. That pick worked out well, as Skenes won National League Rookie of the Year in 2024 and then the NL Cy Young Award in 2025.
The Pirates didn't win the draft lottery in 2024, but did take shortstop Konnor Griffin with the ninth overall pick out of Jackson Preparatory School in Jackson, Miss. Griffin is the top prospect in baseball and could join the Pirates' Opening Day roster for 2026.
Pittsburgh did win the draft lottery in 2025, taking right-handed pitcher Seth Hernandez out of Corona Hills High School in Corona, Calif with the sixth overall pick.
Dominic writes for Pittsburgh Pirates On SI, Pittsburgh Panthers Pn SI and also, Pittsburgh Steelers On SI. A Pittsburgh native, Dominic grew up watching Pittsburgh Sports and wrote for The Pitt News as an undergraduate at the University of Pittsburgh, covering Pitt Athletics. He would write for Pittsburgh Sports Now after college and has years of experience covering sports across Pittsburgh.