The Houston Astros‘ player development is magnificent.
It’s actually the foundation of their dynasty: they have been able to overcome major losses in recent years because they can foster and develop talented contributors that develop into stars because they have the tools to do so.
Unearthing a hidden gem and guiding that player towards the path of stardom is something that top organizations often do.
And the Astros are a top organization.
They have gone to three of the last four World Series and to six straight Championship Series.
They have won two World Series since 2017.
How do they do that?
Developing their own players through extensive coaching and an analytics angle that allows them to focus on their strengths and improve their weaknesses.
“ASTROS FACTORY: Gerrit Cole and Charlie Morton depart. Framber Valdez, Cristian Javier, and Luis Garcia arrive. Carlos Beltran and Evan Gattis out. Yordan Alvarez is in. George Springer leaves. Kyle Tucker and Chas McCormick step up. Carlos Correa walks. Here’s Jeremy Peña,” CBS Sports tweeted.
ASTROS FACTORY
Gerrit Cole and Charlie Morton depart.
Framber Valdez, Cristian Javier, and Luis Garcia arrive.Carlos Beltran and Evan Gattis out.
Yordan Alvarez is in.George Springer leaves.
Kyle Tucker and Chas McCormick step up.Carlos Correa walks.
Here’s Jeremy Peña. pic.twitter.com/UlO060ANcw— CBS Sports (@CBSSports) November 6, 2022
The Stars Factory
If you remember the Astros’ 2017 team, it had Beltran, Gattis, and Morton, among other stars.
All of them left, but they already had a solid foundation with Jose Altuve, Springer, Correa, Justin Verlander, Alex Bregman, Yuli Gurriel, and others, so they remained competitive.
In recent years, Springer left to sign with the Toronto Blue Jays, Cole (added in 2018) went to the New York Yankees, and Correa signed up to play in Minnesota.
The Astros player development machine created replacements for them all: Alvarez and Tucker established themselves as top sluggers, Javier, Valdez and Garcia (and Hunter Brown, too) took a step forward on the mound, and Pena was scintillating as a rookie this year.
This is achieved with hard work, but also with smarts and great planning skills.
They know what they are doing in Houston, and should remain highly competitive for several more years.
NEXT: The Astros Declare A Dynasty Is In Place