​MLB Draft order for 2026: a complete 20-round lineup with competitive balance selections originally published by The Sporting News. The Sporting News is listed as a preferred source—just click here to add it to your sources. With this year’s draft approaching, a fresh cohort of potential franchise-altering players is ready to begin their ascent into the upper echelons of professional baseball. For the third consecutive year, the top six selections were set by MLB’s Draft Lottery. The Chicago White Sox emerged as lottery winners, earning the No. 1 overall pick for the third time in their history, having previously chosen Danny Goodwin in 1971 and Hall of Famer Harold Baines in 1977. The White Sox also boast slugger Munetaka Murakami, who has already established himself as one of the league’s premier power hitters, though he is currently sidelined by injury.
The Tampa Bay Rays, possessing the best record in the American League, will select second, with the Minnesota Twins following at third. Below is the full order for the 2026 MLB Draft, listed from the first pick to the final selection:
1. White Sox
2. Rays
3. Twins
4. Giants
5. Pirates
6. Royals
7. Orioles
8. Athletics
9. Braves
10. Rockies
11. Nationals
12. Angels
13. Cardinals
14. Marlins
15. Diamondbacks
16. Rangers
17. Astros
18. Reds
19. Guardians
20. Red Sox
21. Padres
22. Tigers
23. Cubs
24. Mariners
25. Brewers
26. Braves
27. Mets
28. Astros
29. Giants (from Guardians)
30. Royals
31. Diamondbacks
32. Cardinals
33. Rays (from Orioles)
34. Pirates
35. Yankees
36. Phillies
37. Rockies
38. Rockies
39. Blue Jays
40. Dodgers
41. White Sox
42. Nationals
43. Twins
44. Pirates
45. Angels
46. Orioles
47. Athletics
48. Braves
49. Rays
50. Cardinals
51. Pirates
52. Marlins
53. Diamondbacks
54. Rangers
55. Giants
56. Royals
57. Astros
58. Reds
59. Guardians
60. Padres
61. Tigers
62. Cubs
63. Yankees
64. Phillies
65. Mariners
66. Brewers
67. Red Sox (from Brewers)
68. Cardinals (from Mariners)
69. Tigers
70. Reds
71. Marlins
72. Cardinals (from Rays)
73. Athletics
74. Twins
75. Cubs
76. Rockies
77. White Sox
78. Nationals
79. Twins
80. Pirates
81. Angels
82. Orioles
83. Athletics
84. Braves
85. Rays
86. Cardinals
87. Marlins
88. Diamondbacks
89. Rangers
90. Giants
91. Royals
92. Mets
93. Astros
94. Reds
95. Guardians
96. Red Sox
97. Padres
98. Cubs
99. Yankees
100. Phillies
101. Mariners
102. Brewers
103. Blue Jays
104. Rockies
105. White Sox
106. Nationals
107. Twins
108. Pirates
109. Angels
110. Orioles
111. Athletics
112. Braves
113. Rays
114. Cardinals
115. Marlins
116. Diamondbacks
117. Rangers
118. Giants
119. Royals
120. Mets
121. Astros
122. Reds
123. Guardians
124. Padres
125. Tigers
126. Cubs
127. Yankees
128. Phillies
129. Mariners
130. Brewers
131. Blue Jays
132. Dodgers
133. Astros
134. Padres
135. Phillies
136. Rockies
137. White Sox
138. Nationals
139. Twins
140. Pirates
141. Angels
142. Orioles
143. Athletics
144. Braves
145. Rays
146. Cardinals
147. Marlins
148. Diamondbacks
149. Rangers
150. Giants
151. Royals
152. Mets
153. Astros
154. Reds
155. Guardians
156. Red Sox
157. Padres
158. Tigers
159. Cubs
160. Yankees
161. Phillies
162. Mariners
163. Mari (likely a name fragment in this draft listing)
This compilation captures the anticipated sequencing for all 20 rounds, including the competitive balance selections, as rendered by The Sporting News. For fans and analysts, this draft order promises a deep pool of amateur talent crossing into the professional ranks, with multiple franchises aiming to add pieces that could influence their competitive trajectories for years to come. The order above reflects the official projections and lottery outcomes shaping the 2026 draft landscape. If you’re tracking picks for fantasy prospects or evaluating club-building strategies, this is the framework to reference as teams begin finalizing scouting plans and player assessments ahead of draft day.