Ranking Five Best Astros First-Round Picks in Franchise History

The top of the bWAR leaderboards for Houston Astros draft picks are the faces of the franchises history.

Oct 13, 2019; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Astros shortstop Carlos Correa (1) celebrates after hitting a walk off solo home run off of New York Yankees starting pitcher J.A. Happ (not pictured) during the eleventh inning in game two of the 2019 ALCS playoff baseball series at Minute Maid Park. | Thomas B. Shea-Imagn Images

The draft is a crap shoot no matter the sport, but it's even more so the case in baseball. In basketball and football, the prospects make an immediate impact, or immediately flop, so it's much more clear the type of player a team is getting.

That's not the case in baseball, with most picks taking at least two years to make it to the big leagues in most cases. That timeline is even longer for high school prospects. But when a team hits on a player, it can alter the course of a franchise.

That's really the case for the Houston Astros. All five of their top first round picks by bWAR helped them to either win a World Series or get to one and another is in the Hall of Fame. Houston has done as good of a job as anyone at drafting in the last 30-plus years.

1. 2B Craig Biggio, 65.5 bWAR

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Biggio has the second most bWAR in Astros' history, collecting 65.5 in his 20 year career, the entirety of it spent with Houston. Drafted in 22nd overall in the 1987 draft, Biggio made his debut the next year in 1988 and didn't look back.

The Hall of Famer was an iron man, as well. He played until he was 41-years-old and played 140 games or more in 16 of his 20 MLB seasons. He played the most games in franchise history, 700 more than any other player at 2,850 games.

Biggio's name is riddled throughout every Astros' offensive leaderboard. He has the most runs scored in franchise history (1,844), most hits (3,060), most total bases (4,711), most doubles (668), third-most home runs (291) and second most RBIs (1,175).

A seven time All-Star, four time Gold Glover, five time Silver Slugger and Roberto Clemente Award winner, Biggio was inducted in to the Hall of Fame in 2015. He received 82.7 percent of the vote and was enshrined in his third year on the ballot.

While he was never a World Champion, he did help Houston reach the World Series in 2005 as a 39-year-old. His number seven is retired by the club.

2. OF/1B Lance Berkman, 48.1 bWAR

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It's not crazy to say that from 2001 until he was traded in 2010 that Lance Berkman was the face of the Houston Astros. On rosters that included stars like Roger Clemens and Roy Oswalt and franchise icons like Craig Biggio and Jeff Bagwell, Berkman was the stalwart in the middle of the lineup.

For the entirety of his career in Houston, the Astros could count on him to put up around 30 homers and 100 RBIs each year. He had four top five MVP finishes and made five All-Star teams. He had four six bWAR seasons in his 12 years with the team.

Berkman has the highest OBP in franchise history at .410, was second in home runs (326) and third in RBIs (1,090).

Berkman hit the sixth most home runs by a switch-hitter in baseball history at 366. There is little doubt that the Big Puma was the face of the 2000s Astros.

3. 3B Alex Bregman, 39.6 bWAR

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Drafted number two overall in 2015, Alex Bregman became one of the leaders of the best stretch in franchise history. He is one of five players to win both the 2017 and 2022 World Series with Houston.

Bregman's time with the Astros was shorter than the top two players on the list, but he made a huge impact nonetheless. He is ninth in Astros history in bWAR, but has become one of the most iconic.

He made two All-Star teams, won a SIlver Slugger and Gold Glove and had two top five MVP finished in 2018 and 2019. In fact, his 2019 is arguably the best single season in franchise history. With 8.9 bWAR and 41 homers, his 162 OPS+ is top 10 for a single season in franchise history while finishing runner-up in AL MVP.

He ranks in the top 10 in franchise history in OPS (.848), doubles (265), home runs (191) and RBIs (663).

Alex Bregman left in free agency before the 2025 season and coincidentally, it was the first time the Astros missed the playoffs since his rookie year.

4. SS Carlos Correa, 35.3 bWAR

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Despite being fourth on this list and 10th overall by bWAR on the Astros list, Correa is the most important draft pick in franchise history.

Selected first overall in 2012, the Astros were banking on Correa becoming the superstar they desperately needed. They were in the middle of the second of what would be three 100 loss seasons in a row in one of the most famous tanking jobs in baseball history.

Correa did exactly what the Astros asked and expected of him. In 2015, he won AL Rookie of the Year and lead all Houston position players in bWAR while leading them to their first postseason appearance since losing the World Series in 2005.

The next season, Correa posted 7.0 bWAR, but the Astros missed the playoffs. It was the next season, 2017, that vaulted the franchise shortstop to franchise icon status. He would post a career high .941 OPS on his way to 6.7 bWAR and the first World Series win in franchise history.

In 79 post season games with the Astros, the three-time All-Star hit .272 with 18 home runs, 59 RBIs and an .849 OPS.

Carlos Correa’s walk-off homer in the 2019 ALCS was a signature moment.

The former No. 1 overall pick makes his return to the @Astros tonight on #FridayNightBaseball. 💪

(MLB x @Essilor) pic.twitter.com/fksnPJA48q

— MLB (@MLB) August 1, 2025

Correa left in free agnecy after the 2021 season and had one of the most memorable free agency hiccups ever, but was traded back to Houston at the deadline this past season.

5. OF George Springer, 27.9 bWAR

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Speaking of the memorable postseason hitters, George Springer might be the only one more iconic than Correa while wearing an Astros uniform. The 2011 first round pick was a steady force at the top of the Houston Astros lineup for seven straight seasons and has become one of the best postseason hitters of all time.

Springer spent the least amount of time with the Astros on this list, so his cumulative stats aren't nearly as high as the other four. That said, he did post three seasons with 5.1 bWAR or better, including 2019, when he hit 39 homers and posted 6.5 bWAR.

He was a three time All-Star in Houston along with two Silver Sluggers and a top 10 MVP finish.

The postseason is where he really shines, though. In 63 playoff games with the Astros, Springer hit 19 home runs and drove in 38 runs while posting an .895 OPS. He won the 2017 World Series MVP, hitting five home runs, three doubles and posting a 1.471 OPS.

Although all of his postseason production hasn't come with Houston, he is tied for the third most playoff home runs with 23.