Meet the man responsible for bringing Astros' pitching aces to Houston

PHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvania (KTRK) -- One man's work behind the scenes is front and center for the Astros this postseason.

"We're ecstatic to see the success at the big league level," Oz Ocampo admitted during an interview with ABC13.

For the better part of a decade, Ocampo worked as an Astros international crosschecker, which is a key role in the team's scouting department. Ocampo had a significant part in finding and signing pitchers Luis Garcia, Jose Urquidy, Bryan Abreu, World Series Game 2 winner Framber Valdez, and World Series Game 4 starter Christian Javier.

"We're seeing these players at age 18, 19, 20 and 21," he recalled. "And we're trying to figure out what they're going to do at age 25, 26, 27."

And part of that puzzle is the mental side of the game, believing these players will be able to perform on baseball's biggest stage, and having these players - along with their families - trust the Astros to set them up for success.

"It says a lot about the culture that was created, and Oz was a huge part of that," the Astros general manager, James Click, told ABC13. "As the leader of that department, Oz creates that culture to allow those guys to go out and do their job."

Ocampo, who speaks multiple languages, admits he remembers the players of whom he missed more than the big hits like Framber and Javier, but he still recalls those early days, too.

"Knowing that initial moment, then seeing the transformation over the years," Oz remembers. "From Framber flashing that big league curveball at the age of 21 in Domincan, to a guy like Bryan Abreu. He was skinny as rails and throwing 84 to 86 (mph)."

Abreu went from throwing 84-86 mph to 97 now. And Ocampo can relate to that acceleration. Like a high-velocity fastball, Ocampo is shooting up the ranks. He's leaving the Astros to join the Miami Marlins as the team's assistant general manager.

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