Baylor Baseball Freshman Report: Who Can Make an Immediate Impact in 2026?
Boom or Bust? Identifying the Biggest Wildcards on Baylor Baseball’s 2026 Roster
As Baylor baseball’s Opening Day matchup against New Mexico State (Feb. 13) approaches, it’s time to start breaking down the roster, plus the biggest storylines and questions heading into the 2026 season. Today, we’ll assess the top freshmen on this year’s squad.
OF Brady Janusek (6-foot-4, 204 pounds): Argyle, Texas | Liberty Christian HS
The 2025 recruiting class was already being touted as head coach Mitch Thompson’s strongest freshman haul yet, but its biggest addition may have arrived late: Brady Janusek.
Much like Pearson Riebock a year ago, Janusek was initially committed to Oklahoma before his plans shifted and he reopened his recruitment. Thompson and the Bears swooped in to capitalize on the opportunity, securing Janusek’s commitment in July.
Now, less than a year later, the 6-foot-4, 204-pounder is slated to start at one of the corner outfield spots following an impressive fall. Janusek is considered an elite athlete and has one of the most powerful bats on the roster, along with UTA transfer first baseman Tyce Armstrong.
Janusek is also a stud football player and was Baylor signee Quinn Murphy’s top wide receiver at Liberty Christian High School. Janusek was named the TAPPS Male Athlete of the Year after earning All-State honors in both football and baseball.
He boasted a batting average of .325 across high school tenure, while hitting 17 home runs and driving in over 100 runs. On the gridiron, he totaled 215 receptions, 3,299 receiving yards and 53 touchdowns across two seasons.
OF Hunter Snow (6-foot-3, 201 pounds): Carmel, Indiana | Carmel HS
Although he redshirted last year, Hunter Snow remains the prize of the 2024 recruiting class and has one of the highest ceilings of anyone on the roster.
The lefty with a sweet swing is expected to start at one of the corner outfield spots opposite Janusek after an impressive offseason. The coaching staff remains extremely high on Snow and believes he could be a really productive player if it all comes together, and he should have some runway this spring to prove them right.
Snow hit .352 with 12 doubles, six home runs, 35 RBIs and 11 stolen bases as a senior at Carmel High School. His father, Justin, played football at Baylor and had a 12-year career with the Indianapolis Colts.
OF Bo Caraway (5-foot-10, 150 pounds): Cypress, Texas | Cy-Fair HS
Unlike Janusek and Snow, who both have the builds of professional football players, true freshman outfielder Bo Caraway comes in at 5-foot-10, 150 pounds, but don’t let that distract you — he’s going to have opportunities to play this spring.
While TJ Woodson (Midway HS) and Dylan Perez (Boerne HS) got more hype in the recruiting process and could eventually be really good players for Baylor, both of them probably need some more time adjusting to the Division I level before they see the field.
If Caraway proves he can hang consistently at the plate, he’s going to be challenging for more playing time, as it’ll be hard to keep his dynamic speed on the bench.
As a senior at Cy-Fair, Caraway hit .409 with four doubles, three triples, two home runs and 27 RBIs, while swiping 33 bags and scoring 45 runs. His father, Brandon, was an All-American player at the University of Houston and played professionally with the Philadelphia Phillies and the Houston Astros organizations.
