HOUSTON -- For lifelong Astros supporter Walker Janek, signing with the Astros was a “dream come true.” The catcher from Sam Houston State University has special memories of Minute Maid Park, long before he officially became an Astro.

"There’s actually a picture up in my house on the mantle [of] me and my brother and my dad. I have a popcorn bucket on my head, and we watched Lance Berkman hit a home run over the little triangle [Tal’s Hill] they had out there in center field," Janek said.

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The Astros on Friday announced the signing of Janek, their first-round Draft pick. Janek signed for the full slot value of pick No. 28, agreeing to a $3,132,500 signing bonus, according to MLB.com’s Jim Callis.

Although not from the Houston area, Janek has been around the Astros' organization since he was a child. He grew up in Corpus Christi, which is the home of the Hooks, Houston’s Double-A affiliate.

"I grew up a Hooks fan, I went to so many games,” Janek said ahead of Friday’s game against the Dodgers. “I’ve been to a bunch of Astros games as well, so to see my dreams come true is pretty awesome.”

At the park on Friday, Janek took batting practice with the Astros and met with general manager Dana Brown and manager Joe Espada. Janek even had the chance to chat with Craig Biggio before the game.

"Our guys went in and introduced themselves and made him feel at home,” Espada said. “He’s one of us now, so we’re excited to have him around for this weekend."

Janek was able to meet Astros stars Jose Altuve and Alex Bregman -- players Janek remembers seeing playing for the Hooks at one point.

"It was cool to finally meet him,” Janek said on meeting Altuve for the first time.

MLB.com's No. 24 overall Draft prospect, Janek was the top-ranked catcher in this year’s class after being overlooked by big league clubs and major college programs out of high school. As a junior at Sam Houston, he hit .368/.480/.714 with 17 home runs and 13 stolen bases this season en route to winning the Buster Posey Award as the best catcher in college baseball.

Janek was the first catcher selected in the first round of this year’s Draft, and he believes that his athleticism separates him from the other catchers in his Draft class.

"I’d say I’m the most athletic out of all of them,” he said. "I don’t really try to compare myself to anybody, but overall, it’s [how] I train [in the] offseason, midseason [to be] the best athlete I can be."

Aside from what he can do offensively, Janek also threw out 51.2% percent (16 out of 31) of attempted basestealers in his final collegiate season.

"He was the top guy on our board for nine or 10 picks,” Astros director of amateur scouting Cam Pendino said on Draft day. “We did not think he was going to be there, frankly. For him to get all the way down there, we were pumped."

Janek has proven himself a strong defender behind the plate, with solid blocking and framing skills and a strong throwing arm to hold baserunners at bay. He was awarded for his work with the gear on this season, winning Conference USA's 2024 Defensive Player of the Year Award.

"He was the total package,” Brown said regarding Janek. “We had the data and information that looked positive. So from a scouting point, from a data point, from a makeup point, he checked all the boxes. We didn’t think he was going to get to [pick No.] 28. We had him [going] somewhere in the teens on our board.”

As for what’s next in Janek’s immediate future, he’ll head to West Palm Beach on Saturday “for a couple of weeks,” before heading to Low-A Fayetteville or High-A Asheville.

The deadline for teams to sign their draft picks is next Thursday, Aug. 1.