NATIONALS WIN MLB DRAFT LOTTERY, GET NO. 1 PICK FOR THIRD TIME

DALLAS -- The Washington Nationals will have the first pick in the 2025 MLB draft for the third time in franchise history after winning the draft lottery Tuesday at baseball's winter meetings.

Washington had the fourth-best odds (10.8%) to land the top pick. The Colorado Rockies and the Miami Marlins (22.5% each) were tied for the best chance, but the Marlins fell to seventh and the Rockies will select fourth.

The Los Angeles Angels will pick second after having the third-best odds for the first selection.

The Chicago White Sox, despite losing a modern-day-record 121 games, were not eligible for a lottery pick -- one of the top six selections -- because the collective bargaining agreement stipulates a team that pays into the revenue-sharing plan cannot hold a lottery pick in consecutive drafts. The White Sox chose fifth in the 2024 draft.

The Athletics were also ineligible because teams that receive revenue sharing cannot have a lottery pick three straight years.

The Nationals also drew the No. 1 pick at last year's draft lottery, but they weren't eligible for a lottery selection as a team that paid into the revenue-sharing plan and couldn't receive a lottery pick two years in a row, resulting in another drawing. The Cleveland Guardians won the No. 1 pick on the second drawing despite having just a 2% chance.

The pingpong balls went the Nationals' way again Tuesday, giving them a chance to replicate their previous success with No. 1 selections. In 2009, they chose right-hander Stephen Strasburg. A year later, they selected outfielder Bryce Harper. Both players were hyped as generational talents and quickly rose through the minors to serve as franchise cornerstones during the Nationals' ascension to NL East power in the 2010s.

Washington has not made the postseason since winning the 2019 World Series. The Nationals were third in the NL East in 2024 with a 71-91 record.

The draft lottery gives the 18 teams that do not reach the postseason an opportunity to land one of the first six selections. It was introduced in MLB's new collective bargaining agreement that went into effect in 2023. Picks from 7 to 18 are slotted by reverse winning percentage, followed by how teams finished in the postseason.

THE LAST TIME EACH TEAM WON A WORLD SERIES | BASEBALL ⚾

 

SPRING TRAINING ROUNDUP: ASTROS BEAT NETS IN 10-8 SLUGFEST

USA TODAY Sports 

 Shay Whitcomb hit two RBI doubles and Jacob Melton smashed the eventual game-winning home run as the Houston Astros put together 10 consecutive runs and held off the host Washington Nationals 10-8 in a spring training game Friday in Palm Beach, Fla.

Melton's two-run homer in the seventh inning put the Astros ahead 9-4, and Joey Loperfido added a run-scoring double in the eighth before Washington pushed back. Alex Call hit a two-run homer in the bottom of the frame and two runs scored on his fielder's choice in the ninth -- one on a throwing error -- before Houston put the game away.

Hunter Brown (1-0) got the win with two innings of relief for Houston, in which he allowed one run, two hits and one walk. Grae Kessinger went 2-for-3 with two RBIs and two runs for the Astros.

Nats reliever Jake Irvin (0-1) was shelled for seven runs (six earned) on five hits and two walks in 1 2/3 innings. CJ Abrams opened the scoring with a solo homer in the first and an RBI single in the second to steer Washington to a 4-0 lead. The teams combined for 22 hits.

Pirates 12, Rays 8

Gilberto Celestino hit a grand slam and totaled five RBIs, Jared Triolo hit a three-run homer and host Pittsburgh outlasted Tampa Bay in Bradenton, Fla.

Bryan Reynolds hit his second homer of spring training in the bottom of the first after the Rays had opened a 3-0 lead. Mitch Keller (1-0) got the win despite allowing three runs on four hits and two walks in two innings. He struck out two.

Jose Siri had three RBIs on a sacrifice fly, a fielder's choice and a single for the Rays. Reliever Erasmo Ramirez (0-1) gave up Triolo's home run.

MLB ROUNUP: RONALD ACUNA JR JOINS 40/40 CLUB IN BRAVES' WIN

Reuters 

Ronald Acuna Jr. and Austin Riley homered in the first inning, and the Atlanta Braves defeated the host Washington Nationals 9-6 to move closer to the 100-win mark Friday night.

Marcell Ozuna smashed a three-run homer in the seventh, and Riley drove in runs on three separate plate appearances to finish with four runs batted in for the National League East champion Braves (99-55).

Acuna led off the game with his 40th home run of the season. He became just the fifth player to join the 40-40 club with his 68 steals. He's the only player in MLB history to have 40 or more home runs and 60 or more steals in the same year. Two batters after Acuna, Riley's 37th homer gave Atlanta a 3-0 lead before an out was recorded.

Braves starter Charlie Morton was done after one scoreless inning; the right-hander walked two. He departed because of discomfort in his right index finger, according to information from the team. Michael Tonkin (7-2) was the winning pitcher with two innings of relief.

After the game, the Nationals announced that Saturday's game was postponed due to severe weather in the forecast and would be played as part of a split-admission doubleheader on Sunday.

YANKEES' 'LOOSING STEAK HIT NINE', LONGEST SINCE 1982

Getty

NEW YORK -- The New York Yankees extended a losing streak to nine for the first time in 41 years when Tommy Kahnle allowed a go-ahead homer to CJ Abrams with two outs in the eighth inning in a 2-1 loss to the Washington Nationals on Tuesday night.

Winless since beating the Marlins on Aug. 11 in Miami, the Yankees are on their first nine-game skid since Sept. 13-21, 1982 -- the final month of a 79-win season when they employed three managers (Bob Lemon, Gene Michael and Clyde King). New York has been outscored 53-20 and has not held a lead since the second inning of its 11-3 loss in Atlanta on Aug. 14.

PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES VS WASHINGTON NATIONALS | MLB HIGHLIGHTS