What are the Angels’ odds of landing the No. 1 pick in the MLB Draft Lottery?

A very important date is upon us, Angels fans. It's the Draft Lottery time, better lock and tune in! The event is taking place on December 11th at 2:30 PT.

The Angels are receiving a boost in their lottery odds thanks to some caveats in the system. According to MLB.com's Jonathan Mayo: "As a team that received a lottery pick in the 2024 Draft and is a “payor club” -- a team that gives rather than receives revenue sharing dollars -- the White Sox are not eligible for this year’s lottery. The A’s are a 'payee club,' but landed lottery picks in 2023 and '24, and payees cannot receive a lottery pick three years in a row. They can pick no earlier than 10th and 11th in the 2025 Draft as a result."

The Angels are a "payor club" and are at risk of losing their lottery pick in the 2026 MLB Draft, should they finish as a lottery team again. So, for the record, if their pick finishes in the top 6 of the Draft, they would be ineligible for a top 10 pick next season. They could be just like the Chicago White Sox. Yikes.

Here are the odds for the first pick in the MLB Draft, according to Mayo:

1. 22.45%-- Colorado Rockies, Miami Marlins
2. 17.96%-- Los Angeles Angels
3. 10.20%-- Washington Nationals
4. 7.48%-- Toronto Blue Jays
5. 5.31%-- Pittsburgh Pirates
6. 3.67%-- Cincinnati Reds
7. 2.45%-- Texas Rangers
8. 1.90%-- San Francisco Giants
9. 1.50%-- Tampa Bay Rays
10. 1.22%-- Boston Red Sox
11. 1.09%-- Minnesota Twins
12. 0.82%-- St. Louis Cardinals
13. 0.68%-- Chicago Cubs
14. 0.53%-- Seattle Mariners
15. 0.27%-- Arizona Diamondbacks

With the White Sox dropping out, the Angels move from the 4th best odds to 3rd. They gained a good amount of percentage points subsequently. The Angels' 17.96% odds are closer to the Rockies' and Marlins' 22.45% than the Nationals' 10.20%, who are right behind them.

Angels fans: pray for ping pong balls

The prize of the 2025 MLB Draft, although it is some ways away, is Ethan Holliday. He is listed as a SS/3B, a couple of positions the Angels should never turn down. They could add another young, middle infielder to their already promising crop, which includes Zach Neto, Christian Moore, Joswa Lugo, Denzer Guzman, Felix Morrobel, and Capri Ortiz. Think about an infield with Holliday at third, Neto at short, Moore at second, Schanuel at first, and O'Hoppe behind the plate.

Come on, ping pong balls! Bounce our way! One time! May the Baseball Gods smile down upon us.

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