The Astros and Nationals built their pennant winners with a similar blueprint, parlaying first-round picks into superstars, making a couple of high-impact international signings and bolstering their pitching staffs via trades or free agency. Most of the key performers on both clubs were highly touted prospects in the Minors, with

The Astros and Nationals built their pennant winners with a similar blueprint, parlaying first-round picks into superstars, making a couple of high-impact international signings and bolstering their pitching staffs via trades or free agency.

Most of the key performers on both clubs were highly touted prospects in the Minors, with the most notable exceptions being Jose Altuve and Patrick Corbin. Altuve's size scared off scouts before Houston signed him out of Venezuela for just $15,000 in 2006. Drafted in the second round in '09 by the Angels and packaged to the D-backs in a trade for Dan Haren a year later, Corbin exuded finesse more than dominance at the time.

A dozen members of each team made MLB.com's Top 100 Prospects en route to the big leagues. We rank them below in order of their prospect status when they first arrived in the Majors.

1. Stephen Strasburg, RHP, Nationals: First-round pick (No. 1 overall), 2009 (San Diego State), $7.5 million bonus/$15,107,104 contract

The best pitching prospect in Draft history, Strasburg set a since-broken record for the highest Draft bonus and a still-standing mark for the largest guarantee. He needed just 10 months and 11 overpowering Minor League starts to reach Washington, where he struck out 14 in his debut. Interestingly, Strasburg was not the consensus No. 1 prospect entering the 2010 season -- MLB, Baseball America and ESPN all rated Jason Heyward No. 1.

2. Carlos Correa, SS, Astros: First-round pick (No. 1 overall), 2012 (HS/Puerto Rico), $6 million bonus

Houston kicked the tires on Mark Appel before using 2012's top pick on Correa, who wowed several clubs in a series of pre-Draft workouts. The Cubs had a deal in place to take him at No. 6, though the Twins likely would have taken him at No. 2 had the Astros opted for Byron Buxton. Even with a broken right fibula in high Class A in 2014 slowing Correa down, he was MLB's No. 3 overall prospect entering the 2015 season and won the American League Rookie of the Year Award that year at age 20.

3. Alex Bregman, 3B/SS, Astros: First-round pick (No. 2 overall), 2015 (Louisiana State), $5.9 million bonus

Bregman still has a chip on his shoulder because fellow Southeastern Conference shortstop Dansby Swanson went one pick ahead of him. He needed just 13 months to get to Houston, slamming 20 homers in 80 games between Double-A and Triple-A in 2016 -- one less than he hit in three years at LSU. With Correa established at shortstop, Bregman had to learn third base on the fly in Houston. He jumped to No. 1 on the midseason 2016 Top 100 Prospects list just days after his callup.

4. Justin Verlander, RHP, Astros: First-round pick (No. 2 overall), 2004 (Old Dominion), $3,120,000 bonus/$4.5 million contract (Tigers)

Though Verlander had the best pure stuff in the 2004 Draft, the Padres had no interest in taking him at No. 1. The Tigers pounced at No. 2, but they broke off negotiations after a four-month standoff. His father Richard, a former union representative, helped resume talks that led to a five-year big league contract, typical for top college arms at the time but now prohibited by Draft rules. Verlander made his first two starts for the Tigers four months into his pro career in 2005, when he posted a 1.29 ERA in the Minors that's the lowest in the last 34 years. He was ranked as MLB's No. 5 overall prospect by MLB.com entering the 2006 season and went on to win the AL Rookie of the Year Award that year.

5. Victor Robles, OF, Nationals: International free agent, 2013 (Dominican Republic), $225,000 bonus

Washington was trying to rebuild an international program derailed by the Esmailyn Gonzalez scandal when it made a big move in 2013 -- to sign third baseman Anderson Franco for $900,000. Robles proved to be a much better investment, immediately showing a promising bat along with well above-average speed and defensive tools. He ranked as baseball's No. 2 overall prospect by the time he made the Nationals' postseason roster at age 20 in 2017.

6. Gerrit Cole, RHP, Astros: First-round pick (No. 1 overall), 2011 (UCLA), $8 million bonus (Pirates)

A first-round pick out as a California high schooler in 2008, Cole famously turned down the Yankees to attend UCLA. Three years later, he became the top choice in the most loaded Draft of the decade, establishing a bonus record that lasted until Adley Rutschman signed for $8.1 million this June. He hit 102 mph with his fastball in the Arizona Fall League during his first taste of pro ball and had a solid career in Pittsburgh after getting there in mid-2013, but he didn't really take off until the Astros acquired him before the 2018 season.

7. Ryan Zimmerman, 1B, Nationals: First-round pick (No. 4 overall), 2005 (Virginia), $2,975,000 bonus

The first choice in Nationals history, Zimmerman was one of the best pure hitters and top defenders in a stacked 2005 Draft class. There were some mild concerns about his power after he totaled just seven homers in three years at Virginia, but he eclipsed that total in two months in the Minors and was in Washington to stay by September. Zimmerman went deep 20 times and drove in 110 runs during his first full year in the Majors, the first step toward monopolizing most of the franchise's offensive records. He was No. 6 on MLB.com's 2006 Top 50 Prospects list, one spot behind Verlander.

8. Zack Greinke, RHP, Astros: First-round pick (No. 6 overall), 2002 (HS/Florida), $2,475,000 bonus (Royals)

Greinke entered his senior season as a projected second- or third-round choice as a third baseman, then blossomed on the mound after joining the rotation for the first time and went sixth overall as a pitcher. He was so advanced that the Royals sent him to the Puerto Rican Winter League at age 18 after his pro debut, and his polish allowed him to log a 1.93 ERA while reaching Double-A during his first full season. Greinke was ranked as baseball's No. 4 overall prospect when he arrived in Kansas City at age 20, though he didn't become one of the game's top pitchers until he took time off in 2016 to deal with his social anxiety disorder.

9. Kyle Tucker, OF, Astros: First-round pick (No. 5 overall), 2015 (HS/Florida), $4 million bonus

Houston had an unprecedented bonanza with two of the first five selections in the 2015 Draft, and it cashed them in on the best pure hitters in the college (Bregman) and high school (Tucker) classes. Tucker began to tap into his power potential when he adopted a more aggressive approach in 2017 and recorded his second straight 20-20 season in the Minors while making his big league debut at age 21 a year ago. He had a 30-30 season in 2019, when he fared much better in his second opportunity in Houston.

10. Trea Turner, SS, Nationals: First-round pick (No. 13 overall), 2014 (North Carolina State), $2.9 million bonus (Padres)

Turner had a chance to become the first college position player selected in 2014, but a slightly disappointing junior year and questions about his swing, approach and arm strength allowed the Padres to steal him at No. 13. They sent him to the Nationals six months later, however, as part of an ill-fated three-team trade for Wil Myers. Turner reached No. 11 on MLB.com's 2016 preseason Top 100 Prospects list, debuted in the big leagues 14 months after turning pro and has showcased one of the game's best power/speed combos when healthy.

11. Howie Kendrick, INF, Nationals: 10th-round pick, 2002 (St. John's River, Fla., JC), $100,000 bonus (Angels)

Legendary scout Tom Kotchman fell in love with Kendrick's bat when he spotted him at a Florida junior college. Unknown at the time, he shed his anonymity by hitting .317, .368, .363, .367 and .369 in five Minor League seasons en route to Anaheim. Even as he climbed prospect lists, he still was regarded as the second-best infielder in the Angels system -- behind slugging shortstop Brandon Wood, who didn't pan out. In 2006, Kendrick peaked at No. 12 on MLB.com's Top 50 list, while Wood was No. 3. Seventeen years after turning pro, the 2019 National League Championship Series MVP remains true to Kotchman's original scouting report: tremendous hitter, gap power, fringy defender.

12. Juan Soto, OF, Nationals: International free agent, 2015 (Dominican Republic), $1.5 million bonus

Soto's bonus represented a franchise record for an international amateur at the time, and he immediately hinted at how it would pay off by coming to the United States for his pro debut and winning the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League MVP Award in 2016. A broken right ankle truncated his encore and slowed his hype train. Soto was ranked No. 29 on MLB's 2018 preseason Top 100, but then he rocketed from high Class A to Washington in just six weeks. He has batted .287/.403/.535 with 56 homers in 266 big league games since -- and he won't turn 21 until Friday.

13. George Springer, OF, Astros: First-round pick (No. 11 overall), 2011 (Connecticut), $2,525,000 bonus

One of the best all-around college position players of the decade, Springer still lasted 11 picks in the deep 2011 Draft because of swing-and-miss concerns. Strikeouts didn't prevent him from producing 61 homers and 77 steals in two full Minor League seasons and rising to No. 21 on MLB.com's 2014 preseason Top 100 list. Springer has provided impact since joining the Astros later that year -- including a World Series MVP Award three years later.

14. Anthony Rendon, 3B, Nationals: First-round pick (No. 6 overall), 2011 (Rice), $6 million bonus/$7.2 million contract

The third product of 2011's first round on this list, Rendon was a potential No. 1 choice but slid slightly that June because a strained shoulder marred his junior season. His prospect status took a hit when he fractured his left ankle in his 2012 pro debut, raising concerns about an injury history that also included a pair of serious right ankle ailments at Rice. Rendon excelled in the Arizona Fall League that offseason, was ranked baseball's No. 27 prospect when he debuted in Washington three weeks into the 2013 season and has stayed mostly healthy since.

15. Yordan Alvarez, OF, Astros: International free agent, 2016 (Cuba), $2 million bonus (Dodgers)

A month after signing Alvarez and before he had made his pro debut, the Dodgers traded him to the Astros for Josh Fields -- who would play a role in Houston's 2017 World Series victory by giving up a pair of extra-inning home runs while on the mound for Los Angeles. Since then, Alvarez raised his prospect profile by hitting for power and average throughout the Minors. The favorite for the AL Rookie of the Year Award posted video-game numbers this year, .343/.443/.742 with 23 homers in two months in Triple-A and .313/.422/.655 with 27 homers in four months with Houston. He was Pipeline's 44th-ranked prospect entering the season but had vaulted to No. 23 by the time he debuted in June.

16. Max Scherzer, RHP, Nationals: First-round pick (No. 11 overall), 2006 (Missouri), $3 million bonus (D-backs)

Then-D-backs scouting director Mike Rizzo liked Scherzer as much as any player in the 2006 Draft and got him with the 11th choice in part because he missed five starts that spring with biceps tendinitis. Scherzer held out and pitched in an independent league before signing the following May. He overpowered Minor League hitters and debuted in Arizona 11 months after turning pro, so why didn't he get more prospect love (he was No. 35 on MLB.com's 2008 list)? Scherzer threw with so much effort that many scouts believed he'd get hurt and likely wind up as a reliever, but he has nearly as many Cy Young Awards (three) as trips to the injured list (four, only one of which involved his arm). Now Washington's president of baseball operations, Rizzo reunited with Scherzer in January 2015 by giving him then the largest free-agent contract for a pitcher in baseball history (seven years, $210 million, half of it deferred).

17. Anibal Sanchez, RHP, Nationals: International free agent, 2001 (Venezuela), $17,500 bonus (Red Sox)

Sanchez spent his first two pro seasons in the now-defunct Venezuelan Summer League, then missed 2003 following surgery to transpose a nerve in his elbow. He returned to lead the short-season New York-Penn League in strikeouts in his U.S. debut 2004, beginning an ascent that made him one of the game's better pitching prospects. The Red Sox refused to part with Jon Lester and sacrificed Sanchez instead in the blockbuster deal that landed them Josh Beckett and Mike Lowell in November 2005. He was ranked No. 43 on MLB's 2006 preseason Top 50 list and was starring for the Marlins by midseason.

18. Joe Ross, RHP, Nationals: First-round pick (No. 25 overall), 2011 (HS/California), $2.75 million bonus (Padres)

Yet another first-rounder from the stacked 2011 Draft, Ross came to Washington along with Turner as part of the Wil Myers trade. He had trouble translating quality stuff into results in the Padres system but missed more bats after changing organizations. Ross, who was No. 33 on MLB Pipeline's 2015 midseason list, pitched well for the Nationals in 2015-16 but has had trouble staying healthy since.

19. Brad Peacock, RHP, Astros: 41st-round pick, 2006 (HS/Florida), $110,000 bonus (Nationals)

Drafted as a catcher out of high school in 2006, Peacock starred on the mound at Palm Beach (Fla.) CC the following spring and signed as a pitcher as a draft-and-follow. He broke out as the Double-A Eastern League Pitcher of the Year in 2011 and gave up just one run in 12 innings with the Nationals that September. Dealt to the Athletics that offseason as part of a package for Gio Gonzalez, Peacock was No. 75 on MLB's 2012 preseason list, went to the Astros in a trade for Jed Lowrie before the 2013 season and didn't have much big league success until '17.

20. Michael Taylor, OF, Nationals: Sixth-round pick, 2009 (HS/Florida), $125,000 bonus

An athletic yet raw high school shortstop, Taylor developed slowly before breaking out as the Eastern League's top prospect in 2014. He debuted that September, peaked at No. 42 in Pipeline's Top 100 rankings in 2015 and has been a part of three playoff clubs, though a lack of plate discipline has held him back.

21. Jake Marisnick, OF, Astros: Third-round pick, 2009 (HS/California), $1 million (Blue Jays)

One of the best athletes available in the 2008 Draft, Marisnick drew Jeff Francoeur comparisons as an amateur and has proven to be a lighter-hitting version. He projected to hit for more average and power while he was rising through the Minors but hasn't produced enough to be a regular in the big leagues. The Blue Jays sent Marisnick to the Marlins as part of a 12-player trade that included Mark Buehrle, Josh Johnson and Jose Reyes in November 2012, and he first surfaced in the Majors eight months later. He was a mainstay in the middle third of MLB's Top 100 lists from 2012-14.

22. Josh James, RHP, Astros: 34th-round pick, 2014 (Western Oklahoma State JC), $15,000 bonus

The recipient of the smallest bonus on this list, James was a product of Houston's extensive scouting of Oklahoma junior colleges. He did little in his first four pro seasons, then saw his stuff take off and led the Minors in strikeout rate (13.5 per nine innings) in his fifth after addressing his sleep apnea and improving his conditioning. James was so impressive in his September 2018 debut that the Astros added him to their postseason roster and he debuted at No. 62 on Pipeline's 2019 preseason Top 100.

23. Adam Eaton, OF, Nationals: 19th-round pick, 2010 (Miami, Ohio), $35,000 bonus (D-backs)

Miami (Ohio) needed Eaton to hit for power, so his resultant bigger swing masked his speed out of the batter's box, which combined with his small stature made him an afterthought in the Draft. He changed his approach after signing and produced plus-plus running times while leading the Rookie-level Pioneer League in hitting (.385) and on-base percentage (.500) in his pro debut. Eaton continued to rake and boost his prospect status, topping the Minors in batting (.375) while winning Triple-A Pacific Coast League MVP honors in 2012 before joining the D-backs for the first time that September. He cracked MLB's Top 100 list at No. 97 in 2013.

24. Michael Brantley, OF, Astros: Seventh-round pick, 2005 (HS/Florida), $150,000 bonus (Brewers)

Brantley hit for average but with little power in the Minors, leading to some questions about how much impact he'd have. But the Indians thought he'd grow into some pop, so they requested him as the player to be named in the trade that sent CC Sabathia to the Brewers in 2008. Brantley first reached Cleveland in 2009 and was MLB's 46th-ranked prospect entering '10 but didn't turn into a perennial All-Star for another five seasons.