MLB Lottery Results 2023: Full Selection Order, Analysis and More

MLB held its second-ever draft lottery on Tuesday, and the Cleveland Guardians surprisingly came out with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 draft. It will be the first time in franchise history that the Guardians will select first overall.

After finishing third in the AL Central with a 76-86 record, the Guardians had just a two percent chance of landing the top pick. Fortunately for Cleveland fans, the lottery rewarded the team with the opportunity to add a player who will be a franchise cornerstone for years to come.

The New York Mets were the big loser of the lottery after falling significantly:

The Oakland Athletics, Colorado Rockies and Kansas City Royals all entered with the best odds to secure the top pick at an equal 18.3 percent after finishing with the three worst records in the league this past season. The rest of the non-playoff teams had decreasing chances for the top pick based on their records in 2023.

Here's how the first round of the draft fell into place followed by a look at some of the top prospects.

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2024 MLB Draft (Round 1 Order)

1. Cleveland Guardians

2. Cincinnati Reds

3. Colorado Rockies

4. Oakland Athletics

5. Chicago White Sox

6. Kansas City Royals

7. St. Louis Cardinals

8. Los Angeles Angels

9. Pittsburgh Pirates

10. Washington Nationals

11. Detroit Tigers

12. Boston Red Sox

13. San Francisco Giants

14. Chicago Cubs

15. Seattle Mariners

16. Miami Marlins

17. Milwaukee Brewers

18. Tampa Bay Rays

19. New York Mets

20. Toronto Blue Jays

21. Minnesota Twins

22. Baltimore Orioles

23. Los Angeles Dodgers

24. Atlanta Braves

25. San Diego Padres

26. New York Yankees

27. Philadelphia Phillies

28. Houston Astros

29. Arizona Diamondbacks

30. Texas Rangers

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Wake Forest 1B Nick Kurtz

Baseball America has long considered Kurtz to be the top prospect in the 2024 MLB draft, and for good reason.

The lefty slugger is coming off an exceptional sophomore season at Wake Forest in which he .353/.527/.784 with 24 home runs and 69 RBI in 56 games. He had 63 walks against just 50 strikeouts, displaying impressive plate discipline for his age. He's also a quality defender who can potentially play in the outfield when he makes it to the majors.

Kurtz has what it takes to become the second first baseman in MLB draft history to be selected first overall next to Spencer Torkelson, who was taken first by the Detroit Tigers in 2020.

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West Virginia 2B/SS JJ Wetherholt

Arguably the best pure hitter in the 2024 draft, Wetherholt could challenge Kurtz for the No. 1 pick.

The unanimous first-team All-American was a finalist for the Dick Howser Trophy after an incredible season at the plate. In 55 games, Wetherholt slashed an astonishing .449/.517/.787 with 16 home runs, 60 RBI and 36 stolen bases. He fell just short of becoming the first player to have a batting average of .450 since Buster Posey averaged .463 in his final year at Florida State in 2008.

There are some questions about which middle-infield position Wetherholt would play when he gets to the majors, but all signs point to him being one of the first players selected in 2024.

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Wake Forest RHP Chase Burns

The numbers might not be pretty for Burns, but his skills have many projecting him as the top pitcher in the 2024 draft.

Burns had a middling sophomore season at Tennessee and ultimately decided to transfer to Wake Forest, which is known for its excellent work with pitchers. However, MLB.com's Jim Callis pointed out that there might not be much to work on because Burns "already has two of the best pitches in the country." His fastball tops out at 102 mph and he has a slider that generated a 61 percent swing-and-miss rate.

Burns ranked third in Division 1 in strikeout rate (14.3 per nine innings) after finishing with 114 Ks over 72 innings pitched. He will be looking to improve on a 4.25 ERA and a 5-3 record, but MLB teams will surely be eyeing him at the top of the draft.