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Baseball is unique in its inclusion of the international market in team building. Unlike other sports, the draft sometimes serves as the secondary source of finding players.
International signings are a huge, huge part of finding the next big player. On top of that, the huge rosters throughout the organizations and the value put on minor leaguers results in a lot more trading than in any other sport.
Regardless, the draft still produces some integral talent. Usually —like other sports— it comes from the top of the board but also like other sports, there’s gold to be mined later on in the draft board.
Let’s take a look where players on the 2017 World Series rosters were drafted.
Position Players
Yasmani Grandal - 1st round, 12th overall, 2010 by Cincinnati Reds
Chase Utley - 1st round, 15th overall, 2000 by Philadelphia Phillies
Corey Seager - 1st round, 18th overall, 2012 by Dodgers
Logan Forsythe - 1st round, 46th overall, 2008 by Tampa Bay Rays
Charlie Culberson - 1st round, 51st overall, 2007 by San Francisco Giants
Andre Ethier - 2nd round, 62nd overall, 2003 by Oakland A’s
Chris Taylor - 5th round, 161st overall, 2012 by Seattle Mariners
Cody Bellinger - 4th round, 124th overall, 2013 by Dodgers
Kiké Hernandez - 6th round, 191st overall, 2009 by Houston Astros
Justin Turner - 7th round, 204th overall, 2006 by Reds
Austin Barnes - 9th round, 283rd overall, 2011 by Florida (now Miami) Marlins
Joc Pederson - 11th round, 352nd overall, 2010 by Dodgers
Yasiel Puig - 2012 international signing from Cuba by Dodgers
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Pitchers
Brandon Morrow, 1st round, 5th overall, 2006 by Seattle
Clayton Kershaw - 1st round, 7th overall, 2006 by Dodgers
Josh Fields - 1st round, 20th overall, 2008 by Mariners
Alex Wood - 2nd round, 85th overall, 2012 by Atlanta Braves
Tony Cingrani - 3rd round, 114th overall, 2011 by Reds
Rich Hill - 4th round, 112th overall, 2002 by Chicago Cubs
Ross Stripling - 5th round, 176th overall, 2012 by Dodgers
Tony Watson, 9th round, 278th overall, 2007 by Pittsburgh Pirates
Brandon McCarthy - 17th round, 510th overall, 2002 by Chicago White Sox
Kenley Jansen - 2004 international signing from Curacao by Dodgers
Yu Darvish - 2012 international signing from Japan by Rangers
Kenta Maeda - 2016 international signing from Japan by Dodgers
Houston Astros
Position Players
Carlos Correa - 1st round, 1st overall, 2012 by Astros
Alex Bregman - 1st round, 2nd overall, 2015 by Astros
Cameron Maybin - 1st round, 10th overall, 2005 by Detroit Tigers
George Springer - 1st round, 11th overall, 2011 by Astros
Derek Fisher - 1st round, 37th overall, 2014 by Astros
Carlos Beltran - 2nd round, 49th overall, 1995 by Kansas City Royals
Brian McCann - 2nd round, 64th overall, 2002 by Braves
Josh Reddick - 17th round, 523rd overall, 2006 by Boston Red Sox
Evan Gattis - 23rd round, 704th overall, 2010 by Braves
Juan Centeno - 32nd round, 991st overall, 2007 by New York Mets
Marwin Gonzalez - 2005 international signing from Venezuela by Cubs
Jose Altuve - 2007 international signing from Venezuela by Astros
Yuli Gurriel - 2016 international signing from Cuba by Astros
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Pitchers
Justin Verlander - 1st round, 2nd overall, 2002 by Tigers
Lance McCullers Jr. - 1st round, 41st overall, 2012 by Astros
Joe Musgrove - 1st round, 46th overall, 2011 by Toronto Blue Jays
Charlie Morton - 3rd round, 95th overall, 2002 by Braves
Dallas Keuchel - 7th round, 221st overall, 2007 by Astros
Ken Giles - 7th round, 241st overall, 2011 by Phillies
Will Harris - 9th round, 258th overall, 2006 by Colorado Rockies
Collin McHugh - 18th round, 554th overall, 2008 by Mets
Chris Devenski - 25th round, 771st overall, 2011 by White Sox
Luke Gregerson - 28th round, 856th overall, 2006 by St. Louis Cardinals
Brad Peacock - 41st round, 1,231st overall, 2006 by Washington Nationals
Francisco Liriano - 2000 international signing by Giants