Record-Setting Freshman Brady Janusek Returning to Baylor for Sophomore Season

Baylor baseball’s star freshman right fielder Brady Janusek plans to return to Waco for his sophomore season, according to his social media.

Janusek, an All-Big 12 Freshman honoree and Second-Team Freshman All-American, was one of the Bears’ best players in 2026, as he was third on the team in batting average (.297), runs scored (48), total bases (129) and OPS (.938). Janusek also broke Max Muncy’s program record for home runs as a freshman with 14 long balls, nine of which came during conference play. He reached safely in 50 of Baylor’s 56 games this year, including each of the first 18 games to begin his collegiate career.

Janusek also swiped 17 bags, the second-most on the Bears and started all 56 games in right field. Defensively, Janusek had three outfield assists and made a handful of incredible grabs this year, including a home run robbery on May 8 against UCF that was featured on ESPN’s SportsCenter.

When asked about keeping Janusek on the John Morris Show on Wednesday, May 27, head coach Mitch Thompson said, “We feel really good about these guys and their futures. They love it here. They love their teammates. They love the direction of our program.”

Thompson continued, “I’m going to be honest with you, we’re getting more support financially than we have, and it’s going to be a big deal for our program. It’s a changing landscape in college athletics, and you have to be able to do some things to entice kids to stick around and believe in the direction of the program, and we’re able to do those things now.”

Coming out of Argyle Liberty Christian High School, Janusek was also a stud football player and was Baylor signee Quinn Murphy’s top wide receiver; Janusek was named the TAPPS Male Athlete of the Year after earning All-State honors in both football and baseball.

Throughout Thompson’s four-year tenure, the Bears have struggled to retain some of their talented underclassmen, as Kolby Branch, Collin McKinney and Carson Bailey all left the program, but Janusek’s staying gives Baylor something to be optimistic about heading into the 2027 season.

The Bears finished the spring with a 29-27 record and lost in extra innings in the quarterfinals of the conference tournament to the Big 12 Champion Kansas Jayhawks. Baylor has yet to reach an NCAA Tournament in Thompson’s four-year tenure.