Paul Janish is a former American professional baseball player who played as a shortstop and third baseman. He was born on October 12, 1982, in Houston, Texas, and attended Rice University, where he played college baseball for the Rice Owls.
Janish was drafted by the Cincinnati Reds in the fifth round of the 2004 Major League Baseball draft. He made his professional debut in 2005, playing for the Billings Mustangs of the Rookie-level Pioneer League. He quickly moved up the ranks, playing for the Dayton Dragons, Sarasota Reds, Chattanooga Lookouts, and Louisville Bats, all minor league affiliates of the Reds.
Janish made his Major League debut on July 29, 2008, for the Cincinnati Reds. He played in 37 games that season, batting .214 with one home run and 10 RBIs. He continued to play for the Reds until 2012, appearing in a total of 331 games and batting .234 with eight home runs and 82 RBIs.
In 2013, Janish signed a minor league contract with the Atlanta Braves. He played for the Gwinnett Braves, the Braves' Triple-A affiliate, for most of the season, but also appeared in 14 games for the Braves, batting .171 with one RBI.
Janish spent the 2014 season with the Colorado Rockies, playing for their Triple-A affiliate, the Colorado Springs Sky Sox. He batted .262 with two home runs and 29 RBIs in 97 games.
In 2015, Janish signed a minor league contract with the Baltimore Orioles. He played for their Triple-A affiliate, the Norfolk Tides, for most of the season, but also appeared in 14 games for the Orioles, batting .286 with one RBI.
Janish continued to play for the Orioles in 2016 and 2017, appearing in a total of 54 games over the two seasons. He was primarily used as a defensive replacement and pinch hitter, batting .194 with one home run and six RBIs.
Janish announced his retirement from professional baseball in February 2018. Over his career, he played in a total of 355 Major League games, batting .212 with nine home runs and 86 RBIs. He was known for his strong defensive skills, particularly at shortstop, where he had a career fielding percentage of .980.
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