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Astros get ‘perfect storm’ with first-round pick Walker Janek

Theo

HOUSTON — Walker Janek’s grandfather, William, loved the Houston Astros. The family hails from a suburb of Corpus Christi, where Houston’s Double-A affiliate has been for the past 19 years. Janek watched “quite a few” games at Whataburger Field, where the franchise’s future sometimes met its present.

In 2016, Evan Gattis showed up at a rehab and struck a “masterstroke” in Janek’s presence. He saw Alex Bregman mock the Texas League, and earlier in his childhood, he may have seen Jose Altuve play a game or two. Janek didn’t remember for sure, a victim of the chaos consuming his mind late Sunday night.

“I had no idea who was going to greet me. I was a little nervous on the couch,” Janek explained during a video call from his home.

“Once it happened, it was a surreal moment. I don’t think it’s sunk in yet. I feel like I’m still in awe.”

The Houston Astros, Janek’s home state, selected him in the first round of Sunday’s draft, bringing the heralded Sam Houston product and reigning Buster Posey Award winner full circle as college baseball’s top catcher.

Houston had placed Janek at the top of its draft board after an extensive evaluation that included local scout Brian Sheffler, general manager Dana Brown watching at least one of his college games and a pre-draft workout at Minute Maid Park in front of the club’s entire scouting staff.

Athleticism Keith Law said Janek “could end up being a 20-homer with good baserunning skills and good defense at a critical position.” He ranked Janek 23rd on his final list of the top 100 draft prospects. The Astros selected him 28th overall.

“He was the best player on our board for nine or 10 picks,” Astros director of amateur scouting Cam Pendino said. “We were really, really excited to get him. We didn’t think he would be here, honestly. The fact that he got here just melted our hearts.”

The value of Janek’s 28th-overall selection is $3,132,500. Houston has the smallest bonus pool in the sport after losing its second-round pick to sign Josh Hader this offseason. The team won’t make another pick until No. 101 on Monday afternoon.

Team officials praised Janek for his athleticism, which allowed him to steal 29 bases in three college seasons, and for his arm, which threw out 31 percent of the runners who tried to steal against him. Senior director of amateur scouting Deric Ladnier called him the best catcher available in the draft.

“His arm (and) his accuracy are the best I’ve seen in a long time,” Ladnier said. “I don’t want to say he’s the best of all time or anything like that, but his ability, his swing, his accuracy with his arm, the combination of all that with his bat — because he’s an offensive-oriented catcher with those traits — he’s somebody that I think can break through our organization quickly and help us at the major league level sooner rather than later.”

“It’s kind of a perfect storm for us because we’re fortunate to have a young guy that we wanted who happens to be relatively close to the organization. It’s a win-win situation.”

Janek hit .326/.430/.580 in three collegiate seasons. Last summer, he hit .838 in 130 plate appearances in the prestigious Cape Cod Summer League. Janek struck out just 24 times in 130 plate appearances on Cape Cod and 138 times in 628 career collegiate at-bats. He hit 17 home runs as a junior after hitting 20 in his first two seasons combined.

“He’s always had power and always had batting and ball skills, but his ability to narrow the strike zone, knowing what he has to deal with and being able to go after it was the biggest thing,” Sam Houston coach Jay Sirianni said. “He kind of made that change late last year as a sophomore and continued that throughout the year.”

The offense is appreciated, but the Astros are far more obsessed with their catchers controlling the ground game and leading their pitching staff. Janek has thrown out 35 of the 148 runners who have tried to steal against him in three college seasons.

As a junior, Janek allowed just 14 stolen bases on 31 attempts. His arm became so lethal that Sirianni called only 15 steals to first base all season, almost daring opponents to pick on Janek’s arm.

“Most of the time when I threw an interception, it was because I was caught between two throws. That was definitely the case,” said Sirianni, who joked that Janek allowed him to intercept throws “just to make sure I stayed in the game.”

“We never had to worry about the running game. His ability to get in the same spot with his feet and his hands and be accurate was as good and as easy as I’ve seen in a long time.”

Pendino said Janek will become “one of the most athletic catchers in professional baseball” once he passes a physical and begins his career. Both Pendino and Ladnier projected the 21-year-old as a player who could quickly progress through the team’s depleted draft system, potentially shaking up the future of the Astros’ catching situation.

Baseball drafts aren’t based on organizational need, but Houston’s selection of a college catcher in Yainer Diaz’s first season as a regular starter is curious. The team spent all winter hailing Diaz as its catcher of the future and treated him as such through his first 96 games.

Diaz is under club control through the 2028 season. If Janek develops — and performs — as the Astros anticipate, he could be more than ready to contribute at the major league level as a regular starter.

“We didn’t have an opportunity to get this guy, there was no factor in us having a young receiver,” Ladnier said. “I don’t think you can ever have enough of them. One of the biggest qualities that organizations look for is a receiver, and this guy is going to be someone right away that I think other organizations are going to be looking for and obviously he’s very much wanted by us.”

Even this season, the debate rages over Diaz’s ability to stick behind the plate long term. The Astros’ black hole at first base only reinforces the question. Diaz started seven games at first base last season and has taken ground balls there before games this year.

After releasing Jose Abreu last month, manager Joe Espada acknowledged the club has discussed deploying Diaz or backup catcher Victor Caratini at first base, but has yet to attempt to do so in a game. Drafting Janek doesn’t mean Diaz’s days behind the plate are numbered, but the team’s ability to move him to first base or designated hitter can’t be overlooked in analyzing this draft.

Janek played little at second base, third base and both corner outfield positions at Sam Houston, but Ladnier and Pendino made it clear he would remain a catcher as a professional. Janek said he has been a catcher “for as long as I can remember.”

Then he’ll do it with the team he and his grandfather grew up watching.

“My whole family loves the Astros. My grandfather loves the Astros. He passed away a few years ago, so to make this dream come true is very close to his heart,” Janek said. “I know he would be proud of me. Overall, I’m just super excited and super happy.”

(Photo: Richard Rodriguez/Getty Images)

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