Winning titles is challenging, yet building a perennial championship-contending team with homegrown players presents an even greater hurdle.
Nurturing these athletes through an in-house development program is demanding, certainly in Major League Baseball. But it offers the potential for sustained success that leads to championships and the Houston Astros serve as a prime example.
Unfortunately, there is no legal Texas sports betting, as legislative measures continue to encounter roadblocks. Just ask Texas Rangers fans. But for now, Astros fans can continue to embrace their team’s consistency after two World Series titles and four American League pennants since 2017.
The Astros in the past several years have had a lot of homegrown talents thrive, and their success speaks volumes about the franchise’s effective recruitment and player development programs.
How much have the Astros relied on homegrown talent? As spring training games draw near, we wondered which MLB team have done the best job at drafting and keeping talent in their city. Using statistics from the FanGraphs website, BetTexas.com – your home for the best Texas sportsbook promo codes when they become available – found the number of homegrown players (drafted or signed) on each MLB team’s projected 40-man roster for the upcoming 2024 season.
MLB Teams with Most Homegrown Talent
2024 World Series Odds
In neighboring Louisiana, BetMGM Sportsbook has the Astros as the third favorite in World Series odds at +850. The Los Angeles Dodgers are favored at +360 odds, followed by the Atlanta Braves (+600), then the Astros, New York Yankees (+900) and defending world champion Rangers (+1100).
The Houston Astros’ successful formula is hardly a secret, centered on strategic recruitment and a thriving player development program.
Astros’ Homegrown Talent Fuels Success
The Astros have the third most homegrown players in the MLB with 23, which is 57.5% of the projected 40-man roster. Only the Cleveland Guardians with 25 players (62.5%) and the Colorado Rockies (60%), have more on our list.
Among the standout talents who have risen through the ranks in the Houston organization are Jose Altuve, Alex Bregman, Kyle Tucker, Jeremy Pena and Framber Valdez, all among the elite in their respective positions.
Altuve, an eight-time All-Star, was first recruited in 2008 from the Venezuelan Summer League into the Astros’ Triple-AAA affiliate team. Fast forward 15 years, the 33-year-old is considered one of their greatest players ever and signed a seven-year contract extension this offseason.
In 2015, the Astros nailed the draft. Bregman was drafted second overall and became a two-time All-Star and World Series champion. Meanwhile, Tucker was selected fifth overall that year; he also is a two-time All-Star as well as a Gold Glove and Silver Slugger Award.
The youngest among them, 26-year-old Pena, was selected in the third round of the 2018 draft. He already has been a World Series and AL MVP. Valdez, a pitcher, was an international free agent signed in 2015. Since then, Valdez is a two-time All-Star with one World Series title.
For the latest news on the Houston Astros or on any progress toward legal Texas sports betting apps, keep tabs with BetTexas.com.
