They don’t call it a lottery for nothing, folks.
The Royals were awarded the #6 pick through the MLB draft lottery, one pick ahead of the in-state rival St. Louis Cardinals.
Despite finishing with the second-worst record in baseball, Kansas City was once again unable to secure a No. 1 pick. The Royals were tied with the Athletics and Rockies for best odds at getting the #1 overall pick, with each having an 18.3 percent chance. The Cleveland Guardians received the #1 pick, despite having a mere 2 percent chance of receiving it.
The draft lottery was implemented last year to try to discourage teams from tanking to get a better draft pick. The top six slots in the draft are subject to the lottery, weighted for teams with a worse record.
All non-playoff teams are eligible to get a lottery pick except the Washington Nationals, because they are a “payor” club in terms of revenue sharing, and those clubs cannot selected in the lottery two years in a row.
The Royals have plenty of questions heading in 2024, especially when it comes to their starting rotation. Cole Ragans had a strong finish after coming over in the Aroldis Chapman trade but Brady Singer and Jordan Lyles each had disappointing seasons.
Here are the 2024 draft lottery results:
- Guardians
- Reds
- Rockies
- Athletics
- White Sox
- Royals
- Cardinals
- Angels
- Pirates
- Nationals
- Tigers
- Red Sox
- Giants
- Cubs
- Mariners
- Marlins
- Brewers
- Rays