Pirates Again Have Chance at Top Pick Through Draft Lottery

For the third time in the last five years, the Pittsburgh Pirates have a chance at making the first selection in the MLB Draft.

The MLB Draft Lottery will take place at the Winter Meetings in Dallas at 5:30 ET on Tuesday.

The Pirates have the sixth-best odds at landing the first pick in the 2025 draft at 5.31%. They trail the Colorado Rockies (22.45%), Miami Marlins (22.45%), Los Angeles Angels (19.6%), Washington Nationals (10.20%) and Toronto Blue Jays (7.48%).

In the first draft lottery at the Winter Meetings in 2022, the Pirates were tied for the best odds to secure the first pick. The fallout from them ultimately cementing their place at the top of the draft proved to be one of the more crucial moments in the team’s recent history. With the first pick in the 2023 draft, the Pirates took reigning National League Rookie of the Year Paul Skenes.

Last year, the Pirates had the eighth-best odds and ended up picking ninth. With that selection, the Pirates chose athletic prepster Konnor Griffin. The Cleveland Guardians landed the first pick in the 2024 draft despite having just a 2% chance to do so.

The Pirates will know their draft position later in the day.

Top Draft Prospects

MLB Pipeline recently released its top draft prospects for 2025, and there’s a familiar surname at the top.

1. INF Ethan Holliday, Oklahoma (High School)

Holliday is the younger brother of 2022 first-overall pick Jackson Holliday and the son of seven-time All-Star Matt Holliday. This Holliday has some serious power.

2. OF Jace LaViolette, Texas A&M

LaViolette, who just turned 21, hit .305 with a 1.175 OPS, 29 home runs and 78 RBIs in 68 games last season for the Aggies.

3. LHP Jamie Arnold, Florida State

Arnold wowed in his sophomore season at Florida State. The left-hander went 11-3 with a 2.98 ERA and struck out 159 batters in 105.2 innings.

4. RHP Tyler Bremner, UC Santa Barbara

Bremner finished 11-1 with a 2.54 ERA across 19 appearances/nine starts last year. He logged 88.2 innings and struck out 104 batters.

5. RHP Seth Hernandez, California (High School)

Hernandez, 18, possesses a power-fastball and a plus-changeup in addition to a curveball and slider. He’s committed to play collegiately at Vanderbilt.