Janek Tabbed South Texas Pro of 2025
CORPUS CHRISTI – Gregory-Portland High School product and Astros catching prospect Walker Janek is the 2025 Mike Adams South Texas Professional Player of the Year. Janek played the full season at Houston’s High-A club in Asheville, North Carolina, batting .263 with 21 doubles, two triples, 12 home runs, and 46
CORPUS CHRISTI – Gregory-Portland High School product and Astros catching prospect Walker Janek is the 2025 Mike Adams South Texas Professional Player of the Year.
Janek played the full season at Houston’s High-A club in Asheville, North Carolina, batting .263 with 21 doubles, two triples, 12 home runs, and 46 RBIs in 92 games. Houston’s former first-round pick augmented the production with 30 stolen bases in 32 attempts.
In addition to doubles and 35 extra-base hits, Janek led the Tourists with 58 runs scored and 155 total bases. The 22-year-old was also among the club leaders in hits (94, 2nd), RBIs (2nd), homers (T-2nd), steals (3rd), at-bats (358, 3rd), and games played (4th).
Janek, the first catcher selected in the 2024 draft and the third first-rounder in Sam Houston State University history, committed five errors in 633 chances behind the plate while throwing out an impressive 31% of runners attempting to steal.
Janek set the tone for the year on Opening Night, going 3-for-4 with a double and an RBI. He turned in three more hits on April 17 at Rome before going on to hit .284 in 18 May assignments. Janek’s season high for knocks came with a 4-for-5, two-double performance May 21 vs. Greensboro.
His first professional two-homer game was July 18 as the Buster Posey Award winner knocked in four runs vs. Rome. Janek hit safely in 23 of his last 32 games while carrying a .292 batting average in a stretch of 22 contests to close out the regular season.
Assigned to the Arizona Fall League, he continued to impress as a member of the Scottsdale Scorpions. Janek homered in three consecutive games, culminating with a grand slam and seven RBIs in an October 17 rout of Mesa. The Portland, Texas native was named an all-star in the prospect showcase circuit.
Janek’s exploits will be highlighted at the South Texas Softball and Baseball Winter Banquet tonight at the Hilliard Center’s Henry Garrett Ballroom. Presented by Whataburger, the 20th annual event is headlined by Banana Ball coach and Team USA Women’s Baseball player Valerie Perez.
Read More about the banquet award winners:
Lee Yeager, Lifetime Achievement
Bradley Terry, Matt Beveridge Award