Detroit Tigers: The homegrown WAR project Part 1

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Florida Marlins’ new manager Jim Leyland (L) and Pittsburgh Pirates’ new manager Gene Lamont (R) talk during batting practice before their game 05 May at Pro Player Stadium in Miami, Florida. Leyland was the Pirates manager for 11 years before joining the Marlins for the 1997 season. The Marlins defeated the Pirates, 3-0. AFP PHOTO Rhona WISE (Photo by RHONA WISE / AFP) (Photo by RHONA WISE/AFP via Getty Images) /

1997 to 2000: The Florida Marlins to the New York Yankees.

1997: Florida Marlins. Ah yes, the first title for Dave Dombrowski and Jim Leyland. Charles Johnson, the Marlins 1st round draft pick, had a WAR of 4.4 to lead the homegrown farm talent on the team. Of the starting 9 that season, Jeff Conine, Luis Castillo, and Edgar Renteria were the only players that came from the organization. (Castillo, Renteria both were international signings)

The pitching staff was helped in the second half of a season by another international signing, Livan Hernandez, who had a 1.7 WAR. He would go 4-0 in the postseason and won MVP in both the NLCS and World Series. Homegrown Total WAR: 5.7

1998: New York Yankees: The Yankees three in a row World Series titles start with this squad. Derek Jeter leads all homegrown talent with a 7.5 WAR. This Yankees squad did well in international signings with Mendoza (signed in 1991), Rivera, (signed in 1990) El Duque, Orlando Hernandez (signed in 1998) and It was another international purchase from JPL in September of 1998 that went low key but turn out to be a great signing for the Yankees in Alfonso Soriano. Homegrown Total WAR: 27.5

1999: New York Yankees: Homegrown Total WAR: 25.8

2000: New York Yankees: Homegrown Total WAR: 25.1

The Yankees used their homegrown talent to fuel them to three straight World Series titles, similar to what the A’s did in the 1970s with Reggie Jackson, Catfish Hunter, and Vida Blue.

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