The 2024 Rule 5 Draft is set to take place this afternoon at 1 PM Central time during the Winter Meetings in Dallas. This event offers a unique opportunity for teams to acquire talented players who might otherwise be blocked by their current clubs. 


As a quick refresher, the Rule 5 Draft allows teams to select players who were 18 or younger at the time of their original signing and have played five professional seasons, or players who signed at 19 or older and have four professional seasons, provided they are not on a club’s 40-man roster. The selection order is determined by the reverse standings from the previous season, and teams must have an open 40-man roster spot to make a pick.


The first pick of this year's draft has already been reported by Jonathan Mayo of MLB Pipeline: the White Sox selected RHP Shane Smith from the Brewers.


Last year saw some notable players change teams, such as Mitch Spence going from the Yankees to the A's and Justin Slaten moving from the Rangers to the Mets (and then to the Red Sox). Other recent successful picks include Anthony Santander and Ryan Pressly, while historic names like George Bell and Roberto Clemente also came from the Rule 5 Draft.

Major League Baseball held its third annual draft lottery today at the Winter Meetings, and the Washington Nationals emerged as the big winners, securing the first overall pick in the 2025 MLB Draft. The Nationals had just over a 10% chance of landing the top spot, the fourth-highest odds, making their win particularly notable. Following the Nationals, the Los Angeles Angels will pick second, and the Seattle Mariners will pick third.


Here’s the complete first-round order:


1. **Washington Nationals**
2. **Los Angeles Angels**
3. **Seattle Mariners**
4. **Colorado Rockies**
5. **St. Louis Cardinals**
6. **Pittsburgh Pirates**
7. **Miami Marlins**
8. **Toronto Blue Jays**
9. **Cincinnati Reds**
10. **Chicago White Sox**
11. **Oakland Athletics**
12. **Texas Rangers**
13. **San Francisco Giants**
14. **Tampa Bay Rays**
15. **Boston Red Sox**
16. **Minnesota Twins**
17. **Chicago Cubs**
18. **Arizona Diamondbacks**
19. **Houston Astros**
20. **Atlanta Braves**
21. **Baltimore Orioles**
22. **Milwaukee Brewers**
23. **Kansas City Royals**
24. **Detroit Tigers**
25. **San Diego Padres**
26. **Philadelphia Phillies**
27. **New York Mets**
28. **Cleveland Guardians**
29. **New York Yankees**
30. **Los Angeles Dodgers**


This lottery is part of the Players Association’s efforts to discourage teams from losing games to gain better draft positions. Under the latest collective bargaining agreement, the lottery determines the top six overall selections, with odds favoring teams with the worst records. This year, the Rockies and Marlins each had a 22.5% chance of securing the top pick, the highest in the lottery.


All non-playoff teams have a chance to win the lottery. However, certain restrictions are in place: a team that is not a revenue sharing recipient cannot land within the top six in consecutive seasons, and no team can receive a lottery pick more than two years in a row. This year, these rules excluded the Chicago White Sox and Oakland Athletics from the top six. The White Sox, not being a revenue-sharing recipient, picked fifth last year, while the A's were in the top six in both 2023 and 2024.


The Nationals' triumph in the lottery sets them up for a significant addition to their roster, as they look to build for the future. Fans and analysts alike will be eagerly anticipating who the Nationals select with the first overall pick in the 2025 MLB Draft.