The Atlanta Braves are ending the 2025 season with momentum, but it comes with a cost to their draft position. A recent 10-game winning streak has shifted Atlanta’s place in the 2026 MLB Draft Lottery. The streak dropped the club from one of the top odds positions to a more middle-ground outcome.
According to SportstalkATL, Atlanta is now tied with the Athletics and Orioles at 75–84, which places them in the 5th slot for draft lottery odds.
Atlanta’s Current Standing
That record gives the Braves about a 6.55% chance at landing the No. 1 overall pick. Earlier in September, they were projected as high as the 2nd-best odds, but the late surge altered the outlook significantly.
The season’s final series against the Pirates could still affect their odds slightly. A stumble might move Atlanta into a position closer to 10% odds, but more likely they will finish 6th or 7th in the final draft order.
A Different Kind of Debate
The standings have created debate among Braves fans. Some were frustrated by the winning streak, believing it damaged the team’s ability to secure a higher pick in 2026. Others see the momentum as more important than lottery positioning, especially for a team trying to reestablish itself after its first losing season since 2017.
SportstalkATL argued that winning is the more valuable long-term outcome. While the higher draft slot has appeal, the confidence gained from finishing strong could carry into 2026 more meaningfully than marginally better lottery odds.
What the Numbers Say
The lottery format means nothing is guaranteed. Even with 2nd-best odds earlier this month, Atlanta was never assured of drafting near the top. Now, with odds closer to 6–7%, they are in the mix but no longer a frontrunner for the first pick.
That reality makes the streak more palatable for those who value building winning habits. Atlanta is not banking its future on the lottery system alone.
What It Means for the Braves
The Braves’ draft position is locked somewhere in the middle of the lottery, a shift from the possibility of landing inside the top three. While it changes the math, it doesn’t change the offseason’s central challenge: reshaping a roster that fell well short of expectations.
The late surge repositions Atlanta from a team limping into winter to one showing life at the end of a tough season. The cost is draft odds, but the benefit may be a stronger mentality going into 2026.
