How The Milwaukee Brewers Are Impacted By These 5 CBA Changes

New CBA Rule: Draft lottery

One of the more groundbreaking changes in this CBA is the implementation of a draft lottery.

The players were concerned with teams tanking for the lowest record and getting rewarded with high draft picks, so they pushed for a lottery, like what the NBA has. But it’s not a direct copy of the NBA’s lottery.

The first six picks in the MLB Draft going forward will be determined by the lottery. All non-playoff teams are eligible for the lottery. So let’s say the Brewers fall just short of the postseason, for whatever reason, this year. Instead of automatically getting a pick in the mid-to-late part of the first round, they could end up with a Top 6 overall selection, even potentially the number one overall pick.

For teams that don’t win lottery picks, the order will go as normal, in reverse order of standings with how the previous season ended. Teams in the postseason will still be in order of their regular season and not dependent on where they finish in the postseason like the NFL. Winning the World Series doesn’t mean a team will have the 30th pick in the draft.

The lottery odds will go in reverse order of standings, with the three worst clubs all having the highest chance to win at 16.5%. As a small market, revenue sharing club, the Brewers would be eligible to have back-to-back lottery selections, but not three in a row, should they have a downturn in their playoff fortunes.

But a lottery could help take some of the sting out of missing the playoffs.