Walker Janek, a lifetime Astros fan, said signing with the team was a “dream come true.” The Sam Houston State University catcher had fond recollections of Minute Maid Park from before he officially became an Astro.
“I have a picture of myself, my brother, and my father on the mantle in my house. I’ve got a popcorn bucket on my head, and we saw Lance Berkman hit a home run over the small triangle [Tal’s Hill] in center field,” Janek explained.
On Friday, the Astros confirmed the signing of Janek, their first-round draft pick. According to Jim Callis of MLB.com, Janek signed for the entire slot value of choice No. 28 and agreed to a $3,132,500 signing bonus.
Although he is not from Houston, Janek has grown up around the Astros organization. He grew raised in Corpus Christi, which is home to the Hooks, Houston’s Double-A club.
“I grew up a Hooks fan, and I went to so many games,” Janek said prior of Friday’s game against the Dodgers. “I’ve been to a bunch of Astros games as well, so to see my dreams come true is pretty awesome.”
On Friday, Janek participated in batting practice with the Astros and met with general manager Dana Brown and manager Joe Espada. Janek even had a chance to speak with Craig Biggio before the game.
“Our guys went in and introduced themselves and made him feel at home,” he said. “He’s one of us now, so we’re excited to have him around for this weekend.”
Janek had the opportunity to meet Astros studs Jose Altuve and Alex Bregman, both of whom he had previously seen playing for the Hooks.
“It was cool to finally meet him,” Janek stated after meeting Altuve for the first time.
Janek, MLB.com’s No. 24 overall Draft prospect, was the top catcher in this year’s class despite being passed over by major league organizations and major college programs out of high school. As a junior at Sam Houston, he hit.368/.480/.714 this season, with 17 home runs and 13 stolen bases, earning the Buster Posey Award as collegiate baseball’s top catcher.
Janek was the first catcher chosen in the first round of this year’s Draft, and he believes his athleticism sets him apart from the other catchers in his class.
“I’d say I’m the most athletic out of all of them,” he told me. “I don’t really try to compare myself to anybody, but overall, it’s [how] I train [in the] offseason, midseason [to be] the best athlete I can be.”
Aside from his offensive abilities, Janek stopped 51.2% (16 of 31) of attempted basestealers in his final collegiate season.
“He was the best player on our board for nine or ten picks,” Astros director of amateur scouting Cam Pendino stated on Draft Day. “We didn’t expect him to be there. We were ecstatic that he made it all the way down there.
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Janek has established himself as a competent defender behind the plate, with solid blocking and framing abilities and a strong throwing arm to keep baserunners at bay. He received the 2024 Defensive Player of the Year Award from Conference USA for his efforts with the gear this season.
“He was the total package,” Brown observed of Janek. “We had data and information that appeared promising. So he ticked all of the boxes in terms of scouting, data, and cosmetics. We didn’t anticipate he’d get it to [choose number] 28. We had him [going] somewhere in his teens on our board.”
In terms of his immediate plans, Janek will travel to West Palm Beach on Saturday “for a couple of weeks” before moving on to Low-A Fayetteville or High-A Asheville.
The deadline for teams to sign draft picks is next Thursday, August 1.
