This Astros top prospect is forcing a fast-track conversation for Houston already

Eric Cole

Walker Janek (3) celebrates / Joe Rondone/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK

When the Houston Astros picked Walker Janek in the first round of the 2024 MLB Draft, it was because they considered him to be the best defensive catcher available, and one that had some pop in his bat. Despite having Yainer Diaz in the fold, Houston was adamant at the time that Janek was the best player available, and believed he could be an important part of their future.

There were doubts that crept into the minds of some fans when Janek struggled during his first look at pro ball. No matter how good his defensive acumen was, with a .175/.214/.289 line through his first 25 games, some observers wondered if Janek would be able to keep pace with professional pitchers.

Thankfully, those doubters are quiet these days, as Janek has gone back to being awesome on both sides of the ball.

Astros top 2024 draft pick Walker Janek is on quite the roll down in the minors

The book on Janek before the draft was that he had plus-power and wasn't afraid to draw walks. His hit tool, however, seemed inconsistent and he would sell out for power at times; trying to pull the ball too much. While neither of those concerns were immediately disqualifying (and can be fixed), Janek's slow start to his career definitely had fans on guard.

Nevertheless, those potential faults don't seem to be stopping Janek from succeeding this season. Through his first 23 games this season, Janek is hitting .293/.359/.457 exclusively at High-A. One could say that it's disappointing to see that his power hasn't been more evident in games, but it's in there. Overall, Houston has to be thrilled with his progress thus far.

Being a college draft pick, Janek is performing well enough right now, that the Astros will need to make a decision about his future rather quickly. Houston could move Janek up the minor league ladder as fast as his performance will allow, however, catching requires a lot of reps and the former first-rounder wasn't calling games in college. Houston already has a good catcher with Diaz behind the plate, which limits the urgency.

The best course of action would be to take Janek's development one step at a time. The old saying is that a player's performance on the field will tell you when he is ready to move up. Don't expect Janek to come up this season unless disaster strikes. However, he could make the 2026 season awfully interesting.

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Eric Cole

I started my career writing about baseball covering the Atlanta Braves for SB Nation's Talking Chop back in 2015 which has since been renamed Battery Power. After years of writing for those fine folks, I made the decision to take over as Site Expert at House That Hank Built before becoming a full-time MLB Staff Writer for FanSided in 2023. Along the way, I have been a guest on multiple ESPN radio affiliates as well as 680 The Fan and 92.9 The Game to discuss Braves baseball and especially Braves prospects and was a long-time host on the Battery Power podcast. These days, I continue to write about the Braves as well as covering the Astros, Padres, and Angels with particular expertise with minor league coverage, the MLB Draft, and bashing Anthony Rendon when possible. When I am not writing about or talking about baseball (which is seldom), I am an avid baseball card collector (Maddux and Soroka being my primary personal collections) and I also collect shark teeth. All other sports are mostly dead to me as my Bills have broken my heart too many times.