• Full name Paul Ryan Janish
  • Born 10/12/1982 in Houston, TX
  • Profile Ht.: 6'2" / Wt.: 200 / Bats: R / Throws: R
  • School Rice
  • Debut 05/14/2008
  • Drafted in the 5th round (138th overall) by the Cincinnati Reds in 2004 (signed for $210,000).
    View Draft Report
    Janish has lived up to his reputation as a standout defender at shortstop this spring, making just three errors in his 52 games while continuing to show a strong arm, soft hands and solid range. After batting just .296 with six homers in his first two seasons at Rice, then .105 with wood bats for Team USA last summer, Janish improved significantly at the plate. He was hitting .358 with nine homers in late May, doing a better job of using the whole field. He still could use more strength and a shorter stroke. There are few true shortstops available in the draft, so he could go as high as the third round to a team that believe he'll hit enough. If he returns to Rice--and Owls juniors are often difficult to sign--he could get a chance to pitch in 2005. His fastball tops out at 93 mph, and his slurve and changeup are promising.

Top Rankings

Organization Prospect Rankings

Best Tools List

  • Rated Best Strike-Zone Discipline in the Cincinnati Reds in 2008
  • Rated Best Defensive Infielder in the Cincinnati Reds in 2007
  • Rated Best Defensive Infielder in the Cincinnati Reds in 2006
  • Rated Best Infield Arm in the Cincinnati Reds in 2005
  • Rated Best Defensive Infielder in the Cincinnati Reds in 2005

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