The Houston Astros could easily be pursuing a third consecutive championship. They won the World Series last fall, of course, and lost it the year before to Tyler Matzek and the Atlanta Braves.

Matzek was hardly a headliner for Atlanta. But in a series dominated by relievers, he pitched in all of the Braves’ victories, just as he had throughout the playoffs. Matzek was indispensable, and he was there at the insistence of Atlanta’s vice president for scouting at the time, Dana Brown, who was hired as general manager of the Houston Astros this off-season. Brown had a hunch about Matzek, a once-heralded prospect making a comeback with the AirHogs of Grand Prairie, Texas, who had the worst record in their league.

“Dana called me from the Area Code Games in August,” said Alex Anthopoulos, Atlanta’s general manager, referring to an amateur baseball showcase event. “He had — unprompted, on his own — sent one of his scouts to go watch Tyler Matzek in independent ball, and he said, ‘We need to sign this guy.’