Other teams passed on Framber Valdez, Cristian Javier, José Urquidy and Luis Garcia. Now they're the core of Houston's starting rotation.
Astros pitcher Luis Garcia was tough medicine for the Mariners last October, throwing the last six innings of Houston's 1-0, 18-inning ALDS clincher in Seattle.Framber Valdez’s typical pregame routine concludes with a leisurely walk from the bullpen back to the Astros’ dugout, a journey accompanied by at least three colleagues who share more than just his job title.
Most international prospects sign contracts with MLB clubs by the time they turn 16. Valdez was 21 when he signed with the Astros on March 18, 2015. Javier signed the same day, eight days shy of his 18th birthday. Urquidy, signed two weeks earlier, was 19. Garcia was 20 when he signed in 2017. Ocampo, now a Marlins assistant GM, led the Astros’ scouting department when Valdez, Javier, Urquidy and Garcia were signed. He said Houston’s accumulation of older pitchers was not the result of a specific directive, but the byproduct of a philosophy formed in large part by former major league pitching coach Brent Strom.
“It was very much let's try to be aggressive and try to beat teams to the punch and just evaluate the talent and the ability of the player and the person,” he said.In his previous roles in the Astros’ organization, major league pitching coach Josh Miller saw firsthand the development of all four pitchers at various stages. But he said he wasn’t necessarily aware that they were signed as older prospects.
The Astros’ rotation is living proof. Valdez got his first All-Star nod last season and set an MLB record for consecutive quality starts in a season. Javier started and threw six innings of the Astros’ combined no-hitter in Game 4 of the 2022 World Series. Urquidy has three career World Series wins, more than any other starter on the current roster.
As Valdez readied to switch from fastballs to curveballs on the mound, Ocumarez was positioned behind home plate, peering through the open side of an L-screen. “In reality, it just made me feel bad. It made me feel like they didn't want me,” he said. “So I had to kind of talk to myself and keep saying like, 'Hey, we're gonna keep getting after it. We're gonna find a way.' And finally when I got my opportunity, that's when I really fought hard and I put in the work, because I didn't want to feel like that anymore. I want to prove that I was good enough.
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