Ranking All 30 MLB Teams' Homegrown Talent for the 2023 Season
In an ideal world, every MLB draft pick and amateur free-agent signing would rise through the minor league ranks and go on to find big league success.
However, that's not always the case.
For small-market teams, finding young, cost-controlled talent is the key to remaining competitive on a budget, while big-market clubs can spend their available money more productively when they have a homegrown core to build around.
Regardless, a good in-house talent pipeline is a necessity for any team to win a title.
With that in mind, what follows is a look at how all 30 MLB franchises stack up based on homegrown talent. Clubs were initially ranked based on the number of homegrown players on the 40-man roster, then shuffled from there based on the amount of high-level talent.
Before we dive into the rankings, some quick clarification:
- Who qualifies as homegrown? To be considered homegrown, a player must have been drafted by an organization or signed by it as an amateur free agent and subsequently developed in its minor league system.
- What about international free agents? International players who entered the league with significant professional experience were not included. That means players such as Shohei Ohtani, Ha-Seong Kim, Seiya Suzuki, Kodai Senga and Masataka Yoshida didn't help their respective teams' ranking.
Make sense? Let's get to it.
30. San Diego Padres
1 of 30
40-Man Roster: 6
Top 5 Homegrown Players
1. C Luis Campusano
2. LHP Ryan Weathers
3. RHP Steven Wilson
4. RHP Reiss Knehr
5. IF Matthew Batten
The Rest: LHP Tom Cosgrove
Ever since he was hired as general manager late in the 2014 season, A.J. Preller has not been shy about trading the San Diego Padres' top prospects in an attempt to field a World Series contender, and as a result there is very little in the way of homegrown impact talent on the 40-man roster.
Trea Turner and Max Fried headline a long list of current MLB standouts who were traded while they were prospects in the San Diego system, and last summer's Juan Soto blockbuster deal is sure to add a few more names to the scroll.
29. Oakland Athletics
2 of 30
40-Man Roster: 6
Top 5 Homegrown Players
1. 1B/OF Seth Brown
2. IF Nick Allen
3. IF Jordan Diaz
4. IF Jonah Bride
5. 1B/OF Lawrence Butler
The Rest: LHP Hogan Harris
The Oakland Athletics have done a solid job of developing talent over the past decade—they just can't afford to keep anyone who turns into an impact player once their salary starts to climb in arbitration.
Seth Brown had a 116 OPS+ with 25 home runs and 73 RBI last season, and the 2015 19th-round pick might now be the best player on a roster that more closely resembles a Triple-A squad.
28. Washington Nationals
3 of 30
40-Man Roster: 11/40
Top 5 Homegrown Players
1. 2B Luis García
2. OF Victor Robles
3. RHP Joan Adon
4. LHP Matt Cronin
5. IF Carter Kieboom
The Rest: IF Jake Alu, OF Jeremy De La Rosa, LHP Jose A. Ferrer, RHP Jake Irvin, C Israel Pineda, RHP Jackson Rutledge, RHP Stephen Strasburg (60-day IL)
Quantity is the only thing keeping the Washington Nationals out of the No. 30 spot, with second baseman Luis García and outfielder Victor Robles the only homegrown players on the active roster.
García is still only 22 years old and coming off a season when he hit .275 with a 102 OPS+ in 93 games, so he still has a chance to be a building block, as he features club control through the 2027 season.
27. Miami Marlins
4 of 30
40-Man Roster: 11
Top 5 Homegrown Players
1. RHP Edward Cabrera
2. LHP Trevor Rogers
3. LHP Braxton Garrett
4. C Nick Fortes
5. OF Peyton Burdick
The Rest: OF Jerar Encarnación, LHP Andrew Nardi, RHP Sean Reynolds, LHP Josh Simpson, RHP George Soriano, RHP Eli Villalobos
The Miami Marlins have done a great job of developing pitching talent in recent years, though Sandy Alcantara, Pablo López and Jesús Luzardo all began their pro careers with other organizations.
That leaves the young trio of Edward Cabrera, Trevor Rogers and Braxton Garrett to prop up their collection of homegrown talent, and with some of the best pure stuff in baseball, Cabrera could be one of the breakout stars of the 2023 season.
26. Texas Rangers
5 of 30
40-Man Roster: 16
Top 5 Homegrown Players
1. RHP José Leclerc
2. 3B Josh Jung
3. OF Leody Taveras
4. RHP Jonathan Hernández
5. OF Bubba Thompson
The Rest: SS Luisangel Acuña, RHP Joe Barlow, C Sam Huff, RHP Zak Kent, RHP John King, IF Jonathan Ornelas, LHP Cole Ragans, RHP Yerry Rodríguez, RHP Ricky Vanasco, RHP Owen White, RHP Cole Winn
The Texas Rangers have more homegrown players on the 40-man roster than a number of teams ranked ahead of them, but it's largely a quantity-over-quality group with no star-caliber talent.
That could change if third baseman Josh Jung lives up to expectations in his rookie season and young pitchers Owen White and Cole Winn take another step forward in the upper levels of the minors.
25. Pittsburgh Pirates
6 of 30
40-Man Roster: 12
Top 5 Homegrown Players
1. 3B Ke'Bryan Hayes
2. RHP Mitch Keller
3. IF/OF Ji Hwan Bae
4. IF Rodolfo Castro
5. C Jason Delay
The Rest: RHP Mike Burrows, RHP Yerry De Los Santos, OF Cal Mitchell, RHP Luis Ortiz, RHP Colin Selby, OF Travis Swaggerty, IF Jared Triolo, RHP JT Brubaker (60-day IL)
With Bryan Reynolds (via SF) and Oneil Cruz (via LAD) both acquired via trade when they were still in the minors, the Pittsburgh Pirates' homegrown list doesn't look quite as good as some might think.
They still have defensive standout Ke'Bryan Hayes and Opening Day starter Mitch Keller headlining their current group of homegrown MLB talent, and plenty more names are set to join the list with Henry Davis, Nick Gonzales, Quinn Priester, Luis Ortiz and Mike Burrows all expected to see the majors in 2023.
24. Detroit Tigers
7 of 30
40-Man Roster: 17
Top 5 Homegrown Players
1. OF Riley Greene
2. RHP Spencer Turnbull
3. RHP Matt Manning
4. LHP Tyler Alexander
5. 1B Spencer Torkelson
The Rest: RHP Beau Brieske, OF Kerry Carpenter, RHP José Cisnero, RHP Alex Faedo, RHP Jason Foley, RHP Garrett Hill, IF Ryan Kreidler, IF Andre Lipcius, OF Parker Meadows, IF Wenceel Pérez, RHP Will Vest, RHP Brendan White, RHP Casey Mize (60-day IL), LHP Tarik Skubal (60-day IL)
The Detroit Tigers' ranking would be better if Tarik Skubal and Casey Mize were not on the 60-day injured list and on the 40-man roster, but they still have homegrown starters Spencer Turnbull and Matt Manning in the rotation and swingman Tyler Alexander in the bullpen.
The big question entering the 2023 season is whether Riley Greene (No. 5 overall in 2019) and Spencer Torkelson (No. 1 overall in 2020) can live up to the lofty expectations that were set during their rapid rise through the minor league ranks.
23. Boston Red Sox
8 of 30
40-Man Roster: 11
Top 5 Homegrown Players
1. 3B Rafael Devers
2. 1B Triston Casas
3. RHP Tanner Houck
4. RHP Brayan Bello
5. RHP Kutter Crawford
The Rest: 1B Bobby Dalbec, OF Jarren Duran, RHP Bryan Mata, LHP Chris Murphy, IF/OF Ceddanne Rafaela, LHP Brandon Walter
Once upon a time, the Boston Red Sox had three homegrown stars in Mookie Betts, Xander Bogaerts and Rafael Devers, but now Devers is the only one still calling Fenway Park home. Luckily for the team's fans, he's not leaving anytime soon after signing an 11-year, $331 million extension in January.
First baseman Triston Casas has the potential to be the long-term answer at first base, while young pitchers Tanner Houck and Brayan Bello represent the future of the starting rotation along with a now-healthy Bryan Mata.
22. Colorado Rockies
9 of 30
40-Man Roster: 19
Top 5 Homegrown Players
1. 2B/3B Ryan McMahon
2. LHP Kyle Freeland
3. OF/DH Charlie Blackmon
4. SS Ezequiel Tovar
5. OF Yonathan Daza
The Rest: 3B Warming Bernabel, RHP Jake Bird, RHP Blair Calvo, SS Julio Carreras, OF Brenton Doyle, RHP Ryan Feltner, RHP Gavin Hollowell, RHP Peter Lambert, RHP Justin Lawrence, RHP Riley Pint, RHP Antonio Senzatela, C Brian Serven, 1B/OF Michael Toglia, IF Alan Trejo, 2B Brendan Rodgers (60-day IL)
Infielder Ryan McMahon and left-hander Kyle Freeland have been staples with the Colorado Rockies for several years running, and Ezequiel Tovar will try to join the long-term core while taking over as the everyday shortstop.
In the final season of his contract, Charlie Blackmon is putting the finishing touches on one of the greatest careers in Rockies history. The 2008 second-round pick ranks among the franchise's all-time leaders in hits (1,597, second), home runs (208, sixth), RBI (712, seventh), total bases (2,625, second) and offensive WAR (26.7, fifth).
21. San Francisco Giants
10 of 30
40-Man Roster: 16
Top 5 Homegrown Players
1. RHP Logan Webb
2. RHP Camilo Doval
3. SS Brandon Crawford
4. 3B David Villar
5. RHP Tyler Rogers
The Rest: C Joey Bart, RHP Jose Cruz, RHP Sean Hjelle, OF Bryce Johnson, SS Marco Luciano, OF Luis Matos, OF Heliot Ramos, RHP Randy Rodriguez, OF Austin Slater, RHP Cole Waites, RHP Keaton Winn
The duo of Logan Webb (32 GS, 15-9, 2.90 ERA, 163 K, 192.1 IP) and Camilo Doval (68 G, 27/30 SV, 2.53 ERA, 10.6 K/9) will anchor the San Francisco Giants pitching staff during the 2023 season, while side-winding reliever Tyler Rogers has developed into a solid setup reliever.
In his 13th season with the team, shortstop Brandon Crawford could end up passing the torch to another homegrown player at the position, with top prospect Marco Luciano rising through the minor league ranks.
20. Arizona Diamondbacks
11 of 30
40-Man Roster: 15
Top 5 Homegrown Players
1. OF Corbin Carroll
2. OF Jake McCarthy
3. OF Alek Thomas
4. RHP Ryne Nelson
5. RHP Drey Jameson
The Rest: SS Blaze Alexander, OF Jose Barrosa, OF Dominic Fletcher, RHP Luis Frias, RHP Kevin Ginkel, LHP Tommy Henry, C Jose Herrera, RHP Justin Martinez, IF Geraldo Perdomo, 1B/OF Pavin Smith
The Arizona Diamondbacks have a chance to steadily climb this list in the coming years with Corbin Carroll among the NL Rookie of the Year favorites this season and top prospects Jordan Lawlar and Druw Jones possessing similar superstar upside.
The continued development of Ryne Nelson and Drey Jameson in the starting rotation will be one of the biggest keys to their success this year, and it's only a matter of time before Brandon Pfaadt joins them in the big leagues and on the 40-man roster.
19. Chicago Cubs
12 of 30
40-Man Roster: 14
Top 5 Homegrown Players
1. 2B Nico Hoerner
2. OF Ian Happ
3. LHP Justin Steele
4. IF/OF Christopher Morel
5. RHP Keegan Thompson
The Rest: RHP Adbert Alzolay, C Miguel Amaya, RHP Javier Assad, OF Brennen Davis, RHP Jeremiah Estrada, RHP Brandon Hughes, RHP Ryan Jensen, RHP Michael Rucker, , OF Nelson Velázquez
The Chicago Cubs have found a pair of franchise building blocks in second baseman Nico Hoerner and left-hander Justin Steele, who are both coming off breakout 2022 seasons, and versatile power/speed threat Christopher Morel also has intriguing upside.
Will they lock up Ian Happ with a long-term extension? The 28-year-old was an All-Star and Gold Glove winner for the first time last year, and he will be a free agent at season's end.
18. Tampa Bay Rays
13 of 30
40-Man Roster: 13;
Top 5 Homegrown Players
1. SS Wander Franco
2. LHP Shane McClanahan
3. 2B Brandon Lowe
4. OF Josh Lowe
5. IF Taylor Walls
The Rest: IF Jonathan Aranda, RHP Taj Bradley, IF/OF Vidal Bruján, RHP Yonny Chirinos, LHP Josh Fleming, SS Greg Jones, C René Pinto, RHP Colby White
The trio of Wander Franco, Shane McClanahan and Brandon Lowe helped push the Tampa Bay Rays ahead of several teams with a greater quantity of homegrown players on the 40-man roster.
They have done a great job of mining young talent from other organizations over the years, and many of their controllable pieces started their pro careers elsewhere, but there is still a good collection of homegrown players here with another potential top-of-the-rotation arm on the way in right-hander Taj Bradley.
17. Chicago White Sox
14 of 30
40-Man Roster: 19
Top 5 Homegrown Players
1. SS Tim Anderson
2. OF Luis Robert Jr.
3. 1B Andrew Vaughn
4. OF Oscar Colas
5. LHP Aaron Bummer
The Rest: LHP Tanner Banks, 3B Jake Burger, LHP Garrett Crochet, RHP Matt Foster, IF Romy Gonzalez, RHP Jimmy Lambert, RHP Davis Martin, C Carlos Pérez, 3B Bryan Ramos, IF Jose Rodriguez, 1B/OF Gavin Sheets, IF Lenyn Sosa, RHP Jonathan Stiever, C Seby Zavala
Shortstop Tim Anderson is the most accomplished homegrown position player the Chicago White Sox have produced since outfielder Magglio Ordóñez, and the team will soon have a big decision to make regarding his future with one club option year remaining on his contract before he becomes a free agent.
Outfielders Luis Robert Jr. and Oscar Colas both saw some brief pro action in Cuba, but they were still prospect-level players when they made their way stateside, spending significant time in the minors before debuting, so they are considered homegrown.
16. Seattle Mariners
15 of 30
40-Man Roster: 10
Top 5 Homegrown Players
1. OF Julio Rodríguez
2. RHP Logan Gilbert
3. RHP George Kirby
4. C Cal Raleigh
5. RHP Penn Murfee
The Rest: RHP Isaiah Campbell, OF Jonatan Clase, RHP Matt Festa, OF Cade Marlowe, 1B Evan White
Only two teams have fewer homegrown players on the 40-man roster than the Seattle Mariners, but the top four on the the list above is enough for them to climb into the middle of the pack in these rankings.
Those four players combined for 14.6 WAR in 2022 and helped lead the Mariners to their first postseason appearance since 2001. They are only going to climb in these rankings with homegrown top prospects Harry Ford, Taylor Dollard, Bryce Miller and Emerson Hancock all rising the ranks.
15. Cincinnati Reds
16 of 30
40-Man Roster: 16
Top 5 Homegrown Players
1. RHP Hunter Greene
2. LHP Nick Lodolo
3. C Tyler Stephenson
4. 2B Jonathan India
5. RHP Alexis Díaz
The Rest: RHP Graham Ashcraft, SS Jose Barrero, SS Elly De La Cruz, OF TJ Friedl, RHP Ricky Karcher, RHP Joel Kuhnel, RHP Lyon Richardson, RHP Tony Santillan, OF Nick Senzel, OF Michael Siani, 1B Joey Votto
The trio of Hunter Greene, Nick Lodolo and Graham Ashcraft atop the starting rotation has a chance to be a real strength for the Cincinnati Reds this season, while Alexis Díaz was lights out at the back of the bullpen during a breakout 2022 campaign.
Tyler Stephenson and Jonathan India both have All-Star potential, but they both dealt with injuries last season and have some work to do in regaining their status as franchise building blocks.
14. Philadelphia Phillies
17 of 30
40-Man Roster: 12
Top 5 Homegrown Players
1. RHP Aaron Nola
2. 3B Alec Bohm
3. 2B Bryson Stott
4. LHP Ranger Suárez
5. RHP Seranthony Domínguez
The Rest: RHP Connor Brogdon, LHP Bailey Falter, OF Dalton Guthrie, 1B Darick Hall, RHP James McArthur, OF Simón Muzziotti, OF Johan Rojas, 1B Rhys Hoskins (60-day IL)
With 29.6 WAR through nine MLB seasons, right-hander Aaron Nola is tied with his new teammate Trea Turner for the highest WAR total of any player from the 2014 draft class. The Philadelphia Phillies selected him No. 7 overall that year following a standout collegiate career at LSU.
The continued development of Alec Bohm and Bryson Stott on the infield will be a major storyline to watch this year, while a season-ending ACL injury to Rhys Hoskins removes him from consideration here and leaves his future with the team in doubt as he will be a free agent next offseason.
13. New York Mets
18 of 30
40-Man Roster: 13
Top 5 Homegrown Players
1. 1B Pete Alonso
2. 2B Jeff McNeil
3. OF Brandon Nimmo
4. LHP David Peterson
5. RHP Tylor Megill
The Rest: C Francisco Álvarez, 3B Brett Baty, RHP José Butto, IF Luis Guillorme, SS Ronny Mauricio, RHP Bryce Montes de Oca, C Tomás Nido, 1B/3B Mark Vientos
Assuming Francisco Álvarez and Brett Baty are both MLB regulars before the 2023 season is over, the New York Mets could climb significantly in these rankings, but for now they reside just outside the top 10 on the strength of the offensive trio of Pete Alonso, Jeff McNeil and Brandon Nimmo.
Nimmo (8/$162M) and McNeil (4/$50M) both signed new deals during the offseason, while Alonso is still arbitration-eligible and controllable through the 2024 season before he reaches free agency. Will he be the next homegrown piece owner Steve Cohen locks up long-term?
12. New York Yankees
19 of 30
40-Man Roster: 14
Top 5 Homegrown Players
1. OF Aaron Judge
2. RHP Luis Severino
3. SS Anthony Volpe
4. IF/OF Oswaldo Cabrera
5. C Kyle Higashioka
The Rest: RHP Jhony Brito, RHP Deivi García, RHP Yoendrys Gómez, RHP Ron Marinaccio, SS Oswald Peraza, OF Everson Pereira, RHP Clarke Schmidt, RHP Randy Vásquez, RHP Greg Weissert
Slugger Aaron Judge was the No. 32 pick in the 2013 draft out of Fresno State, and his 37.0 career WAR is higher than that of anyone selected ahead of him. Is he the club's best homegrown player since Derek Jeter?
The trio of Anthony Volpe, Oswaldo Cabrera and Oswald Peraza represent the next wave of homegrown talent in New York, and all three could end up filling everyday roles in 2023 and beyond.
11. Los Angeles Angels
20 of 30
40-Man Roster: 15
Top 5 Homegrown Players
1. OF Mike Trout
2. OF Taylor Ward
3. LHP Reid Detmers
4. 1B Jared Walsh
5. LHP José Suarez
The Rest: OF Jo Adell, RHP Jaime Barría, RHP Griffin Canning, IF David Fletcher, RHP Chris Rodriguez, RHP Chase Silseth, RHP José Soriano, IF Michael Stefanic, C/IF Matt Thaiss, RHP Andrew Wantz
How high do the Los Angeles Angels rank for being smart enough to draft Mike Trout after 21 other teams passed on him in 2009?
Taylor Ward had a breakout 2022 season, Reid Detmers looks like a long-term rotation piece and Jared Walsh was an All-Star in 2021, but the Angels are No. 11 on this list largely due to the fact that they drafted and developed a once-in-a-generation talent.
10. Kansas City Royals
21 of 30
40-Man Roster: 22
Top 5 Homegrown Players
1. SS Bobby Witt Jr.
2. RHP Brady Singer
3. C Salvador Perez
4. RHP Zack Greinke
5. 1B Vinnie Pasquantino
The Rest: RHP Jonathan Bowlan, LHP Kris Bubic, 3B Hunter Dozier, OF Nate Eaton, SS Maikel Garcia, RHP Jonathan Heasley, RHP Carlos Hernández, OF Kyle Isbel, RHP Jackson Kowar, IF Nicky Lopez, LHP Daniel Lynch, RHP Alec Marsh, 2B Michael Massey, DH MJ Melendez, 1B/OF Nick Pratto, RHP Collin Snider, RHP Josh Staumont
The Kansas City Royals built a World Series winner around the homegrown core of Salvador Perez, Alex Gordon, Eric Hosmer, Mike Moustakas, Yordano Ventura, Danny Duffy, Greg Holland and Kelvin Herrera.
After a few years of retooling, the next core is starting to take shape with Bobby Witt Jr., Vinnie Pasquantino, MJ Melendez and Michael Massey looking like potential lineup staples, while Brady Singer has developed into the ace of the staff.
9. Milwaukee Brewers
22 of 30
40-Man Roster: 12
Top 5 Homegrown Players
1. RHP Corbin Burnes
2. RHP Brandon Woodruff
3. RHP Devin Williams
4. OF Garrett Mitchell
5. 2B Brice Turang
The Rest: LHP Aaron Ashby, RHP Cam Robinson, LHP Ethan Small, RHP Peter Strzelecki, OF Tyrone Taylor, RHP Abner Uribe, OF Joey Wiemer
A tip of the cap to the Milwaukee Brewers front office for finding Corbin Burnes (fourth round, No. 111 overall in 2016) and Brandon Woodruff (11th round, No. 326 overall in 2014) late in their respective draft classes. Now if only they could find a way to keep them both around long-term. Not fighting it out in arbitration to save $740,000 might be a good start.
There is a ton of excitement surrounding the arrivals of Garrett Mitchell, Brice Turang and Joey Wiemer, who all have rookie eligibility entering the 2023 season, and it won't be long before top prospect Sal Frelick joins them in the big leagues.
8. Baltimore Orioles
23 of 30
40-Man Roster: 16
Top 5 Homegrown Players
1. C Adley Rutschman
2. OF Cedric Mullins
3. SS/3B Gunnar Henderson
4. OF Austin Hays
5. 1B Ryan Mountcastle
The Rest: LHP Keegan Akin, RHP Mike Baumann, RHP Noah Denoyer, RHP Mychal Givens, LHP DL Hall, IF Joey Ortiz, OF Ryan McKenna, RHP Grayson Rodriguez, LHP Drew Rom, OF Kyle Stowers, LHP Nick Vespi, LHP John Means (60-day IL)
The Baltimore Orioles scored 10 runs on Opening Day and did it with homegrown players in the Nos. 1, 2, 4, 5 and 7 spots in the batting order. Adley Rutschman and Gunnar Henderson have the potential to be perennial All-Stars, and there is more young talent on the way from one of baseball's best farm systems.
The continued development of Grayson Rodriguez, DL Hall and other top young arms will be the key to taking the next step toward legitimate contention, and Rodriguez made his MLB debut Wednesday.
7. Minnesota Twins
24 of 30
40-Man Roster: 19
Top 5 Homegrown Players
1. OF Byron Buxton
2. 2B Jorge Polanco
3. OF Max Kepler
4. OF Trevor Larnach
5. 3B Jose Miranda
The Rest: RHP Jordan Balazovic, RHP Matt Canterino, IF/OF Nick Gordon, LHP Brent Headrick, RHP Griffin Jax, C Ryan Jeffers, IF/OF Edouard Julien, 1B/OF Alex Kirilloff, LHP Jovani Moran, RHP Bailey Ober, RHP Cole Sands, RHP Louie Varland, OF Matt Wallner, RHP Josh Winder, SS/OF Royce Lewis (60-day IL)
The Minnesota Twins have had a steady stream of homegrown players make an impact in the majors over the last decade, and while their current collection of in-house talent skews heavily toward the position-player side of things, it's a quality group.
A healthy season from Alex Kirilloff and the impending arrival of spring training star Edouard Julien could help elevate this group even further, but for now the Twins are comfortably inside the top 10 with an offensive core led by Byron Buxton.
6. Toronto Blue Jays
25 of 30
40-Man Roster: 16
Top 5 Homegrown Players
1. 1B Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
2. SS Bo Bichette
3. RHP Alek Manoah
4. C Alejandro Kirk
5. RHP Jordan Romano
The Rest: IF Addison Barger, IF Cavan Biggio, RHP Hagen Danner, 1B/OF Spencer Horwitz, C Danny Jansen, IF Leo Jimenez, IF Otto Lopez, 3B Orelvis Martinez, LHP Tim Mayza, RHP Nate Pearson, RHP Yosver Zulueta
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette climbed the minor league ranks together, and they have emerged as two of the best offensive players in the American League since arriving in the big leagues.
Alek Manoah and Alejandro Kirk joined them as impact players with breakout 2022 seasons, while All-Star closer Jordan Romano was a steal as a 10th-round pick in the 2014 draft out of Oral Roberts University. They have built a good mix of controllable, homegrown players and high-priced outside additions.
5. St. Louis Cardinals
26 of 30
40-Man Roster: 19
Top 5 Homegrown Players
1. SS Tommy Edman
2. 2B Brendan Donovan
3. RHP Jack Flaherty
4. RHP Ryan Helsley
5. OF Jordan Walker
The Rest: OF Alec Burleson, OF Dylan Carlson, SS Paul DeJong, IF Nolan Gorman, C Ivan Herrera, RHP Jordan Hicks, RHP Dakota Hudson, C Andrew Knizner, OF Lars Nootbaar, RHP Andre Pallante, LHP Connor Thomas, LHP Zack Thompson, RHP Jake Walsh, RHP Jake Woodford
The St. Louis Cardinals have done a great job of finding multiple MLB players in some of their recent draft classes.
Tommy Edman, Dylan Carlson, Dakota Hudson and Andrew Knizner were all selected in 2016, while Brendan Donovan, Lars Nootbaar and Nolan Gorman were part of the 2018 draft class.
That said, 2020 might wind up being the best of the bunch, with Jordan Walker and Alec Burleson both already making an MLB impact and both Masyn Winn and Tink Hence ranked among the team's top prospects.
4. Los Angeles Dodgers
27 of 30
40-Man Roster: 19
Top 5 Homegrown Players
1. LHP Julio Urías
2. C Will Smith
3. LHP Clayton Kershaw
4. RHP Dustin May
5. RHP Tony Gonsolin
The Rest: LHP Justin Bruihl, 2B Michael Busch, C Diego Cartaya, OF Jonny DeLuca, LHP Caleb Ferguson, LHP Victor González, RHP Michael Grove, RHP Andre Jackson, IF Eddys Leonard, OF James Outman, OF Andy Pages, RHP Ryan Pepiot, 2B Miguel Vargas, RHP Jorbit Vivas, RHP Walker Buehler (60-day IL) SS Gavin Lux (60-day IL)
The Los Angeles Dodgers would have a case to climb as high as No. 2 in these rankings if Walker Buehler and Gavin Lux were not both on the 60-day injured list, but even without those two, this is still undoubtedly a top-five group.
Julio Urías, Clayton Kershaw, Dustin May and Tony Gonsolin is as impressive a collection of homegrown starting pitching talent as any in baseball, and that list will only grow once Bobby Miller, Gavin Stone, Ryan Pepiot, Michael Grove and Landon Knack establish themselves at the MLB level.
The recent departures of Corey Seager, Joc Pederson and Cody Bellinger has left the team with less homegrown position-player talent, but Will Smith is one of baseball's best offensive catchers and Miguel Vargas is one of the NL Rookie of the Year front-runners.
3. Cleveland Guardians
28 of 30
40-Man Roster: 24
Top 5 Homegrown Players
1. 3B José Ramírez
2. RHP Shane Bieber
3. OF Steven Kwan
4. RHP Triston McKenzie
5. OF Oscar Gonzalez
The Rest: OF Will Brennan, RHP Aaron Civale, RHP Xzavion Curry, IF Tyler Freeman, RHP Hunter Gaddis, LHP Sam Hentges, LHP Tim Herrin, RHP James Karinchak, C Bryan Lavastida, SS Angel Martinez, RHP Eli Morgan, C Bo Naylor, OF Jhonkensy Noel, OF Richie Palacios, RHP Zach Plesac, SS Brayan Rocchio, RHP Nick Sandlin, IF Jose Tena, OF George Valera
The Cleveland Guardians reached Game 5 of the ALDS last season as the youngest team in baseball with a $66.5 million payroll that ranked 27th in the majors, and that is a direct reflection of the contributions they received from cost-controlled, homegrown talent.
José Ramírez is a bona fide superstar, Shane Bieber is one of baseball's true aces, and young outfielders Steven Kwan and Oscar Gonzalez helped reshape the lineup with their emergence last year.
Top pitching prospects Daniel Espino, Gavin Williams and Tanner Bibee are poised to join a long list of homegrown pitchers who have found MLB success.
2. Atlanta Braves
29 of 30
40-Man Roster: 16
Top 5 Homegrown Players
1. OF Ronald Acuña Jr.
2. 3B Austin Riley
3. RHP Spencer Strider
4. OF Michael Harris II
5. 2B Ozzie Albies
The Rest: RHP Ian Anderson, LHP Dylan Dodd, RHP Bryce Elder, IF Vaughn Grissom, LHP A.J. Minter, RHP Roddery Muñoz, IF Braden Shewmake, LHP Jared Shuster, RHP Mike Soroka, RHP Darius Vines, RHP Kyle Wright
The Atlanta Braves not only developed Ronald Acuña Jr., Austin Riley, Spencer Strider, Michael Harris II and Ozzie Albies, but they have also signed all five of those core pieces to team-friendly, long-term deals.
Despite the multiyear contract given to Orlando Arcia, someone from the up-and-coming duo of Vaughn Grissom and Braden Shewmake is still expected to be the long-term answer at shortstop.
Can Ian Anderson, Bryce Elder and Dylan Dodd make an impact at the back end of the starting rotation this year?
1. Houston Astros
30 of 30
40-Man Roster: 24
Top 5 Homegrown Players
1. RF Kyle Tucker
2. LHP Framber Valdez
3. 2B Jose Altuve
4. 3B Alex Bregman
5. RHP Cristian Javier
The Rest: RHP Bryan Abreu, RHP Brandon Bielak, RHP Ronel Blanco, RHP Shawn Dubin, RHP J.P. France, RHP Luis Garcia, IF David Hensley, OF Corey Julks, C Korey Lee, OF Chas McCormick, RHP Lance McCullers Jr., OF Jake Meyers, LHP Parker Mushinski, RHP Enoli Paredes, SS Jeremy Peña, 3B Joe Perez, C/1B César Salazar, RHP José Urquidy, RHP Forrest Whitley
The fact that Jeremy Peña, Luis Garcia, José Urquidy, Bryan Abreu, Hunter Brown, Lance McCullers Jr. and Chas McCormick are not even ranked among the five best homegrown players on the Houston Astros should be all you need to know about why they are No. 1 on this list.
All told, there were 15 homegrown players on the club's 26-man Opening Day roster, including the entire five-man starting rotation and the lineup's Nos. 1, 2 and 5 hitters.
The farm system has thinned out considerably, but the Astros have built a sustainable World Series contender on the strength of their ability to identify and develop talent.
All stats courtesy of Baseball Reference, while roster information came via the Roster Resource page at FanGraphs.
