Vahn Lackey
| Vahn Lackey | |
|---|---|
| Minnesota Twins | |
| Catcher | |
| Born: July 7, 2005 Suwanee, Georgia, U.S. | |
Bats: Right Throws: Right | |
| Stats at Baseball Reference |
Vahn Edward Lackey (born July 7, 2005) is an American professional baseball catcher in the Minnesota Twins organization. He played college baseball for the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets.
Amateur career
[edit source]Lackey started catching in his little league because they only had used a left-handed catcher.[1] He attended Collins Hill High School in Suwanee, Georgia.[2] He committed to Georgia Tech to play college baseball, starting as a lowly ranked prospect.[3][4]
As a freshman at Georgia Tech in 2024, Lackey played in 36 games with 26 starts and hit .214/.330/.381 with four home runs and 15 runs batted in (RBI) over 84 at-bats. After the season, he played summer league ball for the Traverse City Pit Spitters. As a sophomore in 2025, Lackey started 50 of 60 games and hit .347/.421/.500 with six home runs, 42 RBI and 18 stolen bases over 222 at-bats. After the season, he played for the United States collegiate national team,[5] and also played collegiate summer baseball with the Hyannis Harbor Hawks of the Cape Cod Baseball League.[6]
Lackey returned to Georgia Tech for his junior season in 2026 as the starting catcher.[7] In a game against West Georgia he became the first player in Georgia Tech history to play in eight different positions during a game.[8][9][10]
Professional career
[edit source]Lackey was a top prospect for the 2026 MLB draft and was drafted third overall by the Minnesota Twins.[11][12][13] He signed with the Twins for a signing bonus of approximately $9.5 million.[14] At the time, it was the second-highest signing bonus in MLB draft history,[15] until Grady Emerson surpassed it a few days later.[16]
On July 30, 2026, he made his professional debut with the Single-A affiliate Fort Myers Mighty Mussels.[17]
References
[edit source]- ↑ Dykstra, Sam (July 14, 2026). "The Twins' No. 3 overall Draft pick wouldn't even be a catcher if not for a text from dad". MLB.com. Retrieved July 22, 2026.
- ↑ "Former Collins Hill High School student selected in the MLB Draft". Gwinnett County Public Schools. July 1, 2026. Retrieved July 22, 2026.
- ↑ Cahill, Teddy (June 22, 2026). "Daniel Jackson's and Vahn Lackey's paths from overlooked recruits to All-America catchers". The Athletic. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved July 22, 2026.
- ↑ "Lackey, Burress Drafted in the Top 10 of the MLB Draft". Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. July 11, 2026. Retrieved July 22, 2026.
- ↑ "Collins Hill Grad Vahn Lackey Enjoys Summer Japan Trip with USA Baseball". gwinnettdailypost.com. Retrieved March 24, 2026.
- ↑ "Vahn Lackey". capecodleague.com. Retrieved July 12, 2026.
- ↑ "Scouting Vahn Lackey: An Excellent Defensive Catcher Coming Into Newfound Power". baseballamerica.com. Retrieved March 24, 2026.
- ↑ "Vahn Lackey does it all as Georgia Tech blanks West Georgia". albanyherald.com. Retrieved March 24, 2026.
- ↑ "Catcher Vahn Lackey rakes in honors for Georgia Tech". ajc.com. Retrieved March 24, 2026.
- ↑ "Draft prospect Vahn Lackey plays eight positions in Georgia Tech win". MLB.com. Retrieved March 24, 2026.
- ↑ McWilliams, Julian (July 11, 2026). "Vahn Lackey, No. 3 MLB Draft pick, knows he can be an inspiration as a Black catcher". CBS Sports. Retrieved July 22, 2026.
- ↑ Dixon, Wesley (July 11, 2026). "Minnesota Twins Select Vahn Lackey With 3rd Pick in 2026 MLB Draft". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved July 22, 2026.
- ↑ Hayes, Dan (July 18, 2026). "Twins, No. 3 MLB Draft pick Vahn Lackey agree to contract terms: Source". The Athletic. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved July 22, 2026.
- ↑ Samulski, Eric. "Twins sign first-rounder Vahn Lackey". NBC Sports. Archived from the original on July 22, 2026. Retrieved July 22, 2026.
- ↑ Leach, Matthew (July 22, 2026). "Twins give No. 3 pick Lackey second-highest bonus in MLB Draft history (sources)". MLB.com. Retrieved July 22, 2026.
- ↑ Berry, Adam (July 22, 2026). "Rays reach deal with No. 2 overall pick Emerson for $9.75M (source)". MLB.com. Retrieved July 23, 2026.
- ↑ Greenspan, Jared (July 30, 2026). "Twins give No. 3 pick Lackey second-highest bonus in MLB Draft history (sources)". MLB.com. Archived from the original on August 1, 2026. Retrieved August 1, 2026.
External links
[edit source]- Career statistics from Fangraphs · Baseball Reference (Minors)
- Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets bio
- MLB Draft bio
- 2005 births
- Living people
- Baseball players from Georgia (U.S. state)
- Baseball catchers
- Bourne Braves players
- Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets baseball players
- Hyannis Harbor Hawks players
- Traverse City Pit Spitters players
- Sportspeople from Suwanee, Georgia
- Collins Hill High School alumni
- African-American baseball players