How the AL-winning Astros were built

The Houston Astros will play in their second straight World Series and fourth since 2017. The Astros are built to win, accruing 106 regular-season victories while going undefeated in the postseason thus far.

Here's how Houston constructed the roster that will clash with the Philadelphia Phillies in the Fall Classic.

*Based on Houston's active roster for the American League Championship Series. Date in parenthesis denotes team acquisition.

Homegrown

Jose Altuve (March 6, 2007): The heartbeat of the Astros turned back the clock to have his best season since his 2017 AL MVP campaign. Altuve, who's spent his entire 12-year career with Houston, went deep 28 times with a .921 OPS and 6.6 fWAR during the regular season. He came alive with three hits over the last two games of the ALCS after an uncharacteristic 0-for-25 skid.

Jeremy Pena (June 4, 2018): Carlos Correa who? Pena picked up ALCS MVP honors following a solid rookie campaign that saw him replace Correa as the club's starting shortstop. The Astros found the 25-year-old in the third round.

Jose Urquidy (March 2, 2015): The Astros added Urquidy as an international free agent. Houston's immense pitching depth has prevented the right-hander from making an appearance this postseason despite a career 3.74 ERA and three World Series wins over four years.

Cristian Javier (March 18, 2015): Houston dipped back into the international free-agent market to sign Javier. The right-hander enjoyed a breakout 2022 campaign, accruing a 2.54 ERA with 194 strikeouts over 148 2/3 innings (25 starts). He also held the New York Yankees to one hit across 5 1/3 innings in Game 3 of the ALCS.

Framber Valdez (March 18, 2015): The All-Star left-hander joined the Astros as an international free agent. The 28-year-old posted a 2.82 ERA while logging an AL-high 201 1/3 innings this season. He also set an MLB single-season record with 25 straight quality starts.

Alex Bregman (June 8, 2015): Bregman has been one of the cornerstones of an Astros team on the verge of a dynasty. The 2015 second overall pick is heading to his fourth World Series and has finished top five in AL MVP voting twice during his seven-year career.

Kyle Tucker (June 8, 2015): Houston hit on another high draft pick in Tucker, who's become an All-Star slugger following back-to-back 30-homer seasons. Only four MLB outfielders have accumulated a higher fWAR than Tucker over the last two years.

Lance McCullers Jr. (June 4, 2012): McCullers returned from injury to author a 2.27 ERA over eight starts in 2022. The former first-rounder has been sensational in the playoffs throughout his career, amassing a 2.77 ERA with 75 strikeouts over 68 1/3 postseason innings.

Chas McCormick (June 13, 2017): Selected by Houston in the 21st round of the 2017 draft, McCormick has provided some big moments this postseason. He's hit a pair of home runs with an .898 OPS and provided solid defense in center field.

Luis Garcia (July 2, 2017): The Astros signed Garcia as an international free agent. He went 15-8 with a 3.72 ERA this season after finishing as the AL Rookie of the Year runner-up in 2021. Houston has used him only once during these playoffs, and he pitched five shutout innings in relief against the Seattle Mariners.

Bryan Abreu (November 2013): Another gem unearthed in international free agency, Abreu has emerged as a serious bullpen weapon in his age-25 campaign, posting a 1.94 ERA with 13.1 K/9 over 55 appearances.

Hunter Brown (June 4, 2019): Houston's No. 1 prospect has made an immediate impact after a September call-up. The right-hander has allowed just two earned runs over 24 combined innings between the regular season and playoffs. The Astros snagged him in the fifth round of the 2019 draft.

David Hensley (June 6, 2018): The rookie has seen limited action in the majors this year and has just two plate appearances in the postseason. The Astros drafted him in the 26th round in 2018.

Trades

Yordan Alvarez (Aug. 1, 2016): The Astros acquired Alvarez from the Los Angeles Dodgers for pitcher Josh Fields. The deal has worked out terrifically, with the AL MVP candidate posting a .296/.384/.590 slash line with 98 home runs and 283 RBIs in 368 games for Houston.

Justin Verlander (Aug. 31, 2017): Verlander has been a beast since the Astros acquired him from the Detroit Tigers. He owns a 61-19 record with a 2.26 ERA in a Houston uniform and is expected to win his third AL Cy Young - second since joining the Astros. He also has eight playoff wins under his belt since coming to the Lone Star State.

Ryan Pressly (July 27, 2018): Pressly has become one of baseball's best - and most underrated - relievers since the Astros acquired him from the Minnesota Twins for two players. He owns a 2.39 ERA, 2.28 FIP, and 11.9 K/9 with 76 saves in 211 innings for Houston.

Martin Maldonado (July 31, 2019): The Astros like Maldonado so much that they've traded for him twice, with the latest deal involving the Chicago Cubs and Tony Kemp three years ago. Maldonado is a rock behind the plate, earning praise from Verlander for his handling of the pitching staff while throwing out 32% of base-stealers since 2020.

Trey Mancini (Aug. 1, 2022): Mancini got off to a scorching start with the Astros, hitting three homers in his first four games after Houston picked him up from the Baltimore Orioles. It's been downhill since, though, as Mancini posted a .622 regular-season OPS and has no postseason hits.

Christian Vazquez (Aug. 1, 2022): Vazquez hasn't put up the same kind of numbers with the Astros that he did with the Boston Red Sox, but he's been a capable veteran backup to Maldonado. He also performed well in Game 3 of the ALCS, driving in two runs against the Yankees.

Rafael Montero (July 27, 2021): What a find Montero has been for Houston. The team acquired him from the Mariners when he had an ERA above seven. It's 2.18 since he joined the Astros, a drastic improvement to go along with a 2.63 FIP and 9.4 K/9.

Mauricio Dubon (May 14, 2022): Houston picked up Dubon in a minor deal with the San Francisco Giants. He can play multiple positions but doesn't provide much with the bat. The Astros have mostly used him as a late-game defensive replacement.

Aledmys Diaz (Nov. 17, 2018): Diaz has been a useful piece for the Astros since they acquired him from the Toronto Blue Jays. He's a versatile defender with some pop, and Houston has deployed him in various roles throughout the postseason.

Free agents

Yuli Gurriel (July 16, 2016): Gurriel has accomplished a lot since debuting with the Astros as a 32-year-old. He's won a batting title and a Gold Glove and become an integral part of Houston's clubhouse. The Cuban is on fire in the playoffs (two homers, .934 OPS) after a lackluster regular season.

Ryne Stanek (Jan. 7, 2021): Stanek - who originally signed a $1.1-million deal with the Astros in 2021 before re-upping for $2.1 million ahead of this season - has been terrific for Houston. The hard-throwing right-hander owns a 2.41 ERA with 145 strikeouts in 123 innings with the team.

Hector Neris (Nov. 27, 2021): Neris has been solid for the Astros after signing a two-year deal. He's posted a 2.35 FIP and 10.9 K/9 for manager Dusty Baker, who frequently puts him in high-leverage situations.

Rule 5 Draft

Seth Martinez (Dec. 10, 2020): Houston picked up Martinez from the Oakland Athletics in the 2020 Rule 5 Draft. He owns a 2.09 ERA and 1.03 WHIP in 38 2/3 innings for Houston.