Tuesday is shaping up to be a huge moment for the Minnesota Twins as the MLB Draft Lottery takes center stage during the league’s winter meetings in Orlando. Around 4:30 p.m. CT, the ping-pong balls come out, and the first six spots of the 2026 MLB Draft will be locked in.
One of the big storylines? The Twins actually have a real shot to snag the No. 1 overall pick—again. It would be the third time this century, with previous top selections turning into familiar names like Joe Mauer (2001) and Royce Lewis (2017).
Why their odds look surprisingly good
Minnesota wrapped up the season with a 70–92 record, the fourth-worst in baseball. But thanks to MLB’s anti-tanking rules, both the Rockies and Nationals are ineligible for the lottery—boosting the Twins up the list. That puts them behind only the White Sox (27.7%) with a strong 22.2% chance at landing the top spot. The lowest they can fall is eighth.
The Twins have actually benefited from the lottery before. Back in 2023, they jumped all the way from 13th to 5th and grabbed Walker Jenkins, now one of the brightest prospects in baseball.
Who could be on the board?
It’s still early—college baseball hasn’t even kicked off yet—but the immediate buzz centers around a stacked class of shortstops:
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Roch Cholowsky (UCLA) – The favorite to go No. 1 after hitting .353 with 23 homers and a massive 1.190 OPS. Some scouts say he could be the best all-around college shortstop since Troy Tulowitzki.
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Grady Emerson (Texas HS), Jacob Lombard (Florida HS), and Justin Lebron (Alabama) headline the next wave of top-five possibilities.
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Further down the board: more depth from outfielders and arms.
Quick hitters
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Twins have a strong chance to stay in the top six.
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Two lottery-ineligible teams help Minnesota’s odds.
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Draft day isn’t until July 12, 2026, so plenty can change.
With the lottery finally arriving, the Twins could be one lucky bounce away from reshaping their future—again.
