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The most important attribute that any player selected by the Houston Astros in the 2024 MLB Draft, can have is availability. No amount of baseball talent can offset staying in shape and healthy enough to play -- and play well every time you are called upon. One player that has taken that to the next level is the Astros' first round pick, Walker Janek.
Picking Janek was a pretty straightforward thought process. Quality catchers are extremely hard to come by, and with Janek among the top two or three catchers in this draft class and still sitting there at the bottom of the first round, Houston wasted little time in adding him to their organization.
As an added bonus for picking him, it appears as though Janek is one of those prototypical catchers that will play through just about anything. Don't believe us? In 2023, Janek reportedly got speared through his finger by a spike and just played through it anyways.
Won the WAC Tourney MVP at the end of it, too.
Former WAC catcher Walker Janek drafted to the Astros in the first round of the MLB Draft last night.
— Kendra Sheehan (@Kendrasheehan_) July 15, 2024
Walker was the WAC Baseball Tournament MOP in 2023. During the season he even continued playing after a spike went through his pinky finger.@astros you got a good one! https://t.co/0P7voJqJdz
Astros first round pick Walker Janek is just built different than normal humans
Janek has to be very familiar to the Astros, as he went to the nearby Sam Houston State. There, his college coaches have spoken about Janek with a reverence rarely heard from their ilk. Part of Janek's lore was that during the 2023 season, a cleat spike went THROUGH HIS PINKY FINGER and he didn't miss a beat and remained the team's best player. Most of us mere mortals would have called it a season on the spot, and he went on to post a .926 OPS that season.
Catcher is just such a unique position that has very particular physical demands required from those who play it. Those guys get beat up by foul balls, errant pitches, and plays at the plate every single game and have to get up, dust themselves off, and get right back to work. That means toughness is basically a pre-requisite for the job.
Not only did the Astros get arguably the best catcher in the draft class in Janek, but he has a proven track record of toughness that is beyond reproach. He will still have to perform in the minors and learn how to handle a professional pitching staff, but there is a lot to work with for Houston here.