Image credit:Alex Bregman (Photo by Mary DeCicco/MLB Photos via Getty Images)

The point of prospects is they become big leaguers. Preferably, big leaguers who can help a team win a championship.

The annual Baseball America Prospect Handbook endeavors to identify the prospects in the minors each year who will one day become major leaguers, and project how big of a role those players will play in MLB.

While predicting the future will always be an imperfect exercise, the vast majority of big leaguers ranked as a Top 30 prospect in a BA Prospect Handbook at some point during their minor league careers. That is especially true for the players in the 2022 World Series.

A total of 49 of the 52 players on the World Series rosters announced by the Astros and Phillies ahead of Game 1 ranked in a Prospect Handbook at least once as a prospect. That includes Game 1 starters Justin Verlander and Aaron Nola, NLCS MVP Bryce Harper, ALCS MVP Jeremy Peña and impact stars Jose Altuve, Yordan Alvarez, Alex Bregman, Kyle Tucker, Zack Wheeler, J.T. Realmuto, Kyle Schwarber, Rhys Hoskins and Nick Castellanos.

The Astros are particularly homegrown. Fourteen of the 26 players on their World Series roster were originally drafted or signed by the organization. All but one ranked among their Top 30 Prospects at some point.

The Phillies, meanwhile, have nine homegrown players on their 26-man roster, all of whom ranked among their Top 30 Prospects.

Below are the 2022 World Series rosters and when those players ranked in a Prospect Handbook.

ASTROS

PHILLIES