SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Walker Janek has spent just one full season in pro ball, and some scouts are already saying he might be the best defensive catcher in the Minors.
The Astros' 2024 first-round pick out of Sam Houston, Janek won the Buster Posey Award that spring as college baseball's best backstop. He's more agile than most catchers and has quick hands, showing the possibility of becoming a well-above-average receiver and framer. His arm strength already is at that level and he makes accurate throws, erasing 31 percent of basestealers this summer.
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"What I love most about the position is throwing out guys," said Janek, who's playing with the Scottsdale Scorpions in the Arizona Fall League. "It's pretty fun to me.
"The majority of games are coach-called in college, so last season was the first time I've called pitches in a while since the Cape Cod League. I like it way better. I wish I always could have done it. I just like to be in control of the game."
Janek, the Astros' No. 4 prospect, is more than just a defensive standout. He creates plus raw power from the right side of the plate with his bat speed and strength and generally makes hard contact when he doesn't try to do too much at the plate.
After signing in 2024, he got pull-happy and expanded his strike zone in his first taste of pro ball, leading to a .175/.214/.289 batting line in 25 games after an aggressive assignment to High-A. He fared much better in his return to Asheville this year, hitting .263/.333/.433 with 12 homers and 30 steals in 92 games.
"I think last year I kind of was overwhelmed with like the whole Draft process and it kind of all just came on me pretty quick," said Janek, who joined Glenn Wilson and Colton Cowser as first-rounders from Sam Houston. "This year, I was able to go through Spring Training, kind of take it slow, get my bearings before I really went into the season and then just taking it day by day. Having good games, having bad games, letting the bad games just go over my shoulder and then having a new day every day.
"I would say if I changed anything, it probably was just the mental side of it. Just trying to stay locked in every single at-bat and treating every at-bat the same. That's probably what helped me the most this season."
Astros hitters in the Fall League
Joseph Sullivan, OF (No. 6): The grandson of 1971 Heisman Trophy winner and NFL quarterback Patrick Sullivan, Joseph was a seventh-round pick out of South Alabama in 2024. A center fielder who makes good swing decisions and has 20-20 upside, he batted .220/.395/.403 with 17 homers and 42 steals in 106 games between High-A and Double-A in his first full pro season.
Jeron Williams, SS/2B: Williams comes with plus-plus speed and topped NCAA Division I with 49 steals in 53 tries at Toledo in 2023 before signing as a ninth-round pick. He tore the labrum in his right shoulder late in the 2024 season, leading to surgery that cost him two months of this year, then hit .250/.312/.342 with 17 swipes in 56 Double-A games.
Astros pitchers in the Fall League
Anderson Brito, RHP (No. 7): Some evaluators believe the action on his mid-90s fastball and low-80s slider make Brito Houston's best pitching prospect. Signed for $10,000 out of Venezuela in November 2023, he logged a 3.28 ERA, .202 opponent average and 65 strikeouts in 49 1/3 innings in High-A.
James Hicks, RHP (No. 26): A 13th-rounder out of South Carolina in 2023, Hicks missed three months this season after a comebacker fractured his forearm and compiled a 5.59 ERA with a 46/14 K/BB ratio in 46 2/3 innings in Double-A. He relies on mixing a variety of pitches, the best of which are a low-90s sinker and a mid-80s changeup with fade and depth.
Hudson Leach, RHP: Leach has three elbow surgeries in his past but can run his fastball up to 99 mph and flash a plus slider in the upper 80s. The 2023 nondrafted free agent from Miami (Ohio) posted a 5.54 ERA with 63 strikeouts in 39 innings at four levels, peaking in Triple-A.
Derek True, RHP: Though he's more reliever than starter, True can show four interesting pitches in a 92-96 mph fastball, low-80s sweeper, upper-80s splitter and a curveball that sits around 80 mph. An 18th-round pick from Cal Poly in 2023, he recorded a 6.49 ERA with 62 strikeouts in 59 2/3 innings in High-A.
Nate Wohlgemuth, RHP: After the Astros signed him out of the independent Frontier League in June, Wohlgemuth fashioned a 3.13 ERA with a .179 opponent average and 31 strikeouts in 23 innings between Rookie ball and High-A. He works with a 91-94 mph fastball that reaches 96 and his best pitch is a low-80s changeup with fade and sink.