The St. Louis Cardinals had a stroke of luck in the 2025 MLB Draft Lottery on Tuesday. The Cardinals went from 13th-best lottery odds to landing the fifth overall draft pick. It’s the highest the organization has drafted since 1998.
This is the second straight year the Cardinals will draft in their highest position since 1998. Last year, the team was drafted seventh overall after finishing with a 71-91 record in 2023. They took standout infielder J.J. Wetherholt from the University of West Virginia. The Cardinals finished with a winning record in 2024 at 83-79. However, they will draft two spots higher due to their lottery luck. The Cardinals had a .8 percent chance of winning the lottery but slid up 8 draft positions.
“Obviously, you want to take advantage of it,” John Mozeliak, Cardinals president of baseball operations told John Denton with MLB.com. “Last year, we were seventh overall and it was the first time we were a single-digit team in years. Ultimately, that’s what you’re trying to do — build up the farm system. So, drafting well and having the opportunity to draft players you normally wouldn’t is exciting.”
An Unusually High Pick for St. Louis
This will be just the fourth time ever the Cardinals will pick in the top five of a draft. Since the draft started in 1965, the Cardinals’ highest overall pick was third in 1996. The team also drafted fourth in 1991 and fifth in 1998…