The Royals were awarded the #6 pick through the draft lottery, despite finishing with the second-worst record in baseball. The Royals were tied with the Athletics and Rockies for best odds at getting the #1 overall pick, with each having an 18.3 percent chance. The Cleveland Guardians received the #1 pick, despite having the ninth-best odds.
The draft lottery was implemented last year to try to discourage teams from tanking to get a better draft pick. The top six slots in the draft are subject to the lottery, weighted for teams with a worse record. All non-playoff teams are eligible to get a lottery pick except the Washington Nationals, because they are a “payor” club in terms of revenue sharing, and those clubs cannot selected in the lottery two years in a row.