Despite how the Cubs and Astros got to and won the World Series, not every horrible team in baseball (or professional sports) is tanking. There are some truly lousy organizations that lack a plan for success. Drafts and handicaps were established to protect teams and individuals from themselves and to even the playing field.

Because I really don’t follow or care about the NBA any longer, I have no idea who really stinks on the merits and who is just bad and tanking for the right to be in the lottery.

The White Sox are pretending that they aren’t in another rebuild and that they desperately need good (high) draft picks. Regardless, MLB has changed the drafting/lottery rules, and the Sox could draft no higher than #10 in 2025. Even though they had the worst record in baseball history in 2024, they can’t benefit from the first pick.

Are the baseball gods sparing the Sox from screwing things up or is it a new curse? I think many Sox fans wouldn’t trust the current administration with the first pick. Their recent first round picks haven’t exactly been spectacular, yes, Andrew Vaughn and Nick Madrigal, I’m talking about you. However, with picks a little later in the first round, they’ve struck gold with Chris Sale and Garrett Crochet.

In fairness, nobody drafts that well-even when gifted the first overall pick. Not every front office is equipped organizationally or mentally to handle the pressure of high picks.