There’s more than one way to build a winning baseball club. You can rely almost exclusively on homegrown talent, like the Guardians are doing this year with 16 players on their projected postseason roster coming from the Draft or international…
MLB examined the roster construction methods behind the 12 teams competing in the 2026 postseason, analyzing contributions through drafts, trades, and free agency. The analysis highlights contrasting strategies, ranging from the Cleveland Guardians' reliance on homegrown talent to the Los Angeles Dodgers acquiring significant roster value through free agency. Other clubs, including the Tampa Bay Rays, Milwaukee Brewers, and Boston Red Sox, built heavily via trades.
Among individual teams, the Houston Astros won the American League West on the final day despite generating 31.7 total WAR, the lowest among playoff clubs. Their top performers include trade acquisitions Yordan Alvarez and Isaac Paredes alongside draft picks Jeremy Peña and Hunter Brown. Meanwhile, the Guardians led all playoff teams with 16 homegrown players contributing 36.4 WAR, bolstered by draft picks Gavin Williams, Chase DeLauter, and Travis Bazzana.
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