DALLAS (AP) - The Washington Nationals are set to make history as they will hold the No. 1 overall pick in the amateur draft for the first time since 2010 when they selected Bryce Harper. This significant achievement came after winning a lottery involving ping-pong balls during the winter meetings on Tuesday. It marks the third time in franchise history that the Nationals will make the first pick. In 2009, they chose pitcher Stephen Strasburg with the top pick.

Significance and Implications

Unlike last year when they were ineligible due to initial top spot selection, this year they get to keep the first pick for the July draft in Atlanta, the site of the All-Star Game. Last year, the Nationals were ineligible as per the collective bargaining agreement which states that a team paying into the revenue-sharing plan cannot have a lottery selection in back-to-back years. They chose outfielder Dylan Crews with the No. 2 pick in 2023, right after Pittsburgh took his LSU teammate Paul Skenes, the hard-throwing pitcher who was this season's National League Rookie of the Year.The Los Angeles Angels have been awarded the second pick for next summer. Seattle, Colorado, St. Louis, and Pittsburgh complete the top six. Harper, the 2012 NL Rookie of the Year, hit.270 with 22 homers during his big league debut. He played his first seven seasons in Washington before moving to Philadelphia in free agency with a $330 million, 13-year contract after the 2018 season, the year before the Nationals won their only World Series title. Strasburg was the MVP in that 2019 World Series when he won both of his starts against Houston.A weighted lottery among the 18 teams that failed to make the playoffs this season determined the top six picks for the third year in a row. The Nationals went into the lottery with a 10.2% chance, the fourth-best odds. Colorado and Miami, both 100-loss teams, had the best odds at 22.45%, ahead of the Angels at 17.96%. Miami ended up with the seventh pick."It's a great opportunity for our organization," said Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo. "There are talented players available in the draft, and we'll select the one that best fits our team and has the most potential to make an impact."Seattle got the No. 3 selection despite having a 0.53% chance to get the No. 1 pick, the second-worst odds among 16 eligible teams. The 121-loss Chicago White Sox, with the most losses since 1900, were not eligible for the draft lottery as they had one of the top six picks last year (No. 5) and are a team that pays into the revenue-sharing plan. The CBA also doesn't allow teams receiving money in revenue sharing to have lottery picks three years in a row, which made the Athletics (69-93) ineligible for the lottery - they picked fourth last year after having the No. 6 selection in 2023. Chicago instead got the 10th pick, one spot ahead of Oakland.This year's draft lottery has set the stage for an exciting future for the Washington Nationals as they look to build a strong team with their top pick and continue their journey in the world of baseball.