Astros, White Sox Lead The Way With Most Homegrown Players On 2021 Playoff Rosters

Image credit: Jose Altuve (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)

There are many different ways to build a championship roster. That said, having a strong core of homegrown talent is generally a good place to start.

Last year, the Dodgers won the World Series with half (14 of 28) of their players either drafted or originally signed by the organization. The Nationals won the World Series in 2019 with only seven homegrown players on their 25-man roster, but they included critical components like Juan Soto, Anthony Rendon, Ryan Zimmerman and World Series MVP Stephen Strasburg.

Here is a look at the teams with the most homegrown players on their Division Series playoff rosters in 2021. Players are counted as homegrown if they originally signed with the team as their entry point into affiliated baseball.

Team totals are also broken down by how many of their homegrown players were drafted or signed internationally, in addition to how many of their homegrown players were BA Top 100 prospects at some point.

Keep in mind, some teams’ totals would be higher if not for injuries, such as the Dodgers with lefthander Clayton Kershaw, the Braves with outfielder Ronald Acuña Jr. and the Giants with first baseman Brandon Belt.

Note: An asterisk (*) signifies a player who originally signed with the team and returned after playing for other teams.

ASTROS (14)

2B Jose Altuve, SS Carlos Correa, 3B Alex Bregman, OF Kyle Tucker, 1B Yuli Gurriel, C Jason Castro*, RHP Lance McCullers Jr., LHP Framber Valdez, OF Jake Meyers, RHP Jose Urquidy, RHP Luis Garcia, RHP Cristian Javier, C Garrett Stubbs, OF Chas McCormick.

Draft: 8
International: 6

Top 100 Prospects (6): Correa, Bregman, Tucker, Gurriel, Castro, McCullers.
Best find: Altuve, $15,000, Venezuela (2008)

 WHITE SOX (11)

SS Tim Anderson, LHP Carlos Rodon, 1B Jose Abreu, OF Luis Robert, OF Andrew Vaughn, LHP Garrett Crochet, C Zack Collins, OF Adam Engel, UTIL Danny Mendick, 1B Gavin Sheets,  LHP Aaron Bummer.

Draft: 9
International: 2

Top 100 Prospects (7): Rodon, Collins, Crochet, Abreu, Anderson, Robert, Vaughn
Best find: Engel, 19th round, 2013

DODGERS (9)

RHP Walker Buehler, LHP Julio Urias, RHP Kenley Jansen, SS Corey Seager, OF Cody Bellinger, C Will Smith, INF/OF Gavin Lux, RHP Tony Gonsolin, 1B/OF Matt Beaty.

Draft: 7
International: 2

Top 100 Prospects (7): Buehler, Urias, Seager, Bellinger, Smith, Lux, Gonsolin
Best find: Beaty, 12th round, 2015.

BRAVES (7)

1B Freddie Freeman, 2B Ozzie Albies, 3B Austin Riley, RHP Ian Anderson, C William Contreras, LHP A.J. Minter, RHP Jacob Webb.

Draft: 5
International: 2

Top 100 Prospects (4): Freeman, Albies, Riley, Anderson
Best find: Webb, 18th round, 2014

GIANTS (7)

C Buster Posey, SS Brandon Crawford, OF Steven Duggar, OF Austin Slater, RHP Camilo Doval, RHP Tyler Rogers, RHP Logan Webb

Draft: 6
International: 1

Top 100 Prospects (1): Posey.
Best find: Rogers, 10th round, 2013

RED SOX (5)

SS Xander Bogaerts, 3B Rafael Devers, C Christian Vazquez, RHP Tanner Houck, 1B Bobby Dalbec.

Draft: 3
International: 2

Top 100 Prospects (3): Bogaerts, Devers, Dalbec
Best find: Vazquez, 9th round, 2008

RAYS (5)

SS Wander Franco, 2B Brandon Lowe, OF Kevin Kiermaier, LHP Shane McClanahan, LHP Josh Fleming.

Draft: 4
International: 1

Top 100 Prospects (3): Franco, Lowe, McClanahan
Best find: Kiermaier, 31st round, 2010

BREWERS (4)

RHP Corbin Burnes, RHP Brandon Woodruff, LHP Aaron Ashby, OF Tyrone Taylor.

Draft: 4
International: 0

Top 100 Prospects (2): Burnes, Woodruff
Best find: Woodruff, 11th round, 2014