Walker Janek Stats & Scouting Report

AB	47
AVG	.213
OBP	.24
SLG	.34
HR	1

Full name Walker Payne Janek
Born 09/24/2002 in Portland, TX
Profile Ht.: 6'0" / Wt.: 190 / Bats: R / Throws: R
School Sam Houston
Drafted in the 1st round (28th overall) by the Houston Astros in 2024 (signed for $3,130,000).

View Draft Report

School: Sam Houston State
Commit/Drafted: Never Drafted
Age At Draft: 21.8
BA Grade: 50/High
Tools: Hit: 50. Power: 50. Run: 45. Field: 60. Arm: 60.

Janek is the top defensive catcher in the 2024 class, and his elite catch-and-throw skills have earned him praise and stymied baserunners since his 2022 freshman season. He made the Western Athletic Conference all-defensive team as a freshman and in 2024 became the Conference USA defensive player of the year while also having a career-best offensive season. A 6-foot, 190-pound catcher, Janek has a typical backstop’s build with plus defensive tools for the position. He receives at a high level and presents the ball with a comfortable and athletic setup—and he’s adept in a one-knee stance. He moves well laterally and has soft, deft hands and centering ability while blocking. He gets rid of the ball quickly and efficiently on his transfers with plus arm strength and consistent 1.85-second pop times in games. He threw out 16 of 31 basestealers (51.6%) and is a lock to stick at the position with plus defensive upside. Janek’s tools are quieter on the offensive side but still solid. He’s got a chance for average pure hitting ability and average power, though he has traditionally been a low-ball, fastball hitter who will flash pull-side power but needs to improve his contact versus secondary pitches. His 2024 season was his loudest. He hit .368/.480/.714 with 17 home runs. Janek is a high-probability big leaguer thanks to his defensive prowess and has a chance to be the first catcher off the board.

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Draft Prospects

School: Sam Houston State Committed: Never Drafted
Age At Draft: 21.8
Janek is a well-rounded catcher who has earned a reputation as one of the better catch-and-throw backstops in the country, while also hitting .304/.403/.507 combined in his first two seasons with Sam Houston State. A 6-foot, 190-pound backstop, Janek has a prototypical catcher’s build and looks the part behind the plate. He presents the ball well and sets up comfortably and athletically and employs a one-knee setup with a kickstand left leg frequently. He moves well laterally and has soft, deft hands and centering ability while blocking, and also has a quick and efficient transfer on throws. He has plus arm strength and gets rid of the ball quickly with solid accuracy, and will turn in 1.85-second pop times in games. Between his first two seasons at Sam Houston State and a 2023 stint in the Cape Cod League, Janek has thrown out 27.3% (33-for-121) of baserunners. Offensively, Janek sets up with a crouched and spread stance. He shows power to the pull side and is a low ball, fastball hitter who needs to improve his production vs. spin. His bat can get in and out of the zone quickly and he’ll expand the zone a bit too often, though he has solid contact skills and has still managed a 10%+ walk rate. Janek is a solid runner for a catcher and has all the tools to stick at the position and be an above-average defender there.