Vahn Lackey Gaining Momentum For Twins With Third Overall Pick

[Cody Christie]

The picture at the top of the MLB Draft is becoming clearer, and all signs point toward the Minnesota Twins focusing heavily on Georgia Tech catcher Vahn Lackey with the third overall pick. According to Baseball America, “Minnesota has had a lot of high-level decision makers scouting Vahn Lackey this spring.”

That report lines up with how the draft board appears to be developing. UCLA shortstop Roch Cholowsky has looked like the favorite to land with the Chicago White Sox at first overall for much of the year. He entered the spring as a strong candidate for the top pick and has only strengthened that case with his performance this season.

The second pick belongs to the Tampa Bay Rays, and they have consistently been connected to prep shortstop Grady Emerson throughout the draft cycle. There is still a chance Tampa Bay pivots to Lackey if he remains available, but many recent mock drafts have Emerson heading to the Rays at number two overall.

If the board falls that way, Lackey could slide directly into Minnesota’s lap. The appeal is easy to understand.

At Georgia Tech, Lackey is continuing a strong tradition of first-round catching talent, including Jason Varitek, Matt Wieters, Joey Bart, and Kevin Parada. He has been one of the best offensive catchers in college baseball this spring while also showing the athleticism teams covet behind the plate.

Through his first 47 games, Lackey is slashing .371/.491/.682 with a 1.173 OPS, 12 home runs, and nine stolen bases. That combination of impact offense and athletic ability has helped push him into the upper tier of this draft class.

His rise has not been a traditional one. Lackey was a late bloomer in high school and did not receive Division I offers until his senior year. Even in college, his development trajectory has continued to trend upward as he has added polish to both sides of his game.

Defensively, scouts believe there is still more room for growth. Lackey is agile behind the plate and moves well for the position, giving evaluators confidence that he can become a dependable receiver and blocker as he improves his consistency and focus. His arm strength and accuracy already stand out as major assets.

For the Twins, that profile makes plenty of sense. The organization has leaned toward polished college talent in recent drafts, especially players with a blend of upside and relatively high floors, including Brooks Lee, Kaelen Culpepper, and Marek Houston. Catchers with Lackey’s offensive ceiling and athletic traits are difficult to find, and Minnesota may view him as one of the safer premium bats near the top of the board.

If the Twins ultimately go in another direction, college pitcher Jackson Flora and prep shortstop Jacob Lombard appear to be among the other realistic options tied to the third pick.

Still, as the draft draws closer, the momentum around Lackey continues to build. Unless something changes in the first two selections, the Twins may soon find themselves adding another cornerstone talent to the organization, and one who could eventually become the long-term answer behind the plate.

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[Dman]

I'm generally not one to advocate for taking a catcher high, but that is generally because it is hard to find one worth taking that high.  It takes a Joe Mauer type of great defense, great offense to go there and I think Lackey has that.  This type of catcher doesn't come around often so I'd love that pick if they make it.

Flora seems to be right there at number 4 and Lombard despite some swing and miss still seems to hanging top 5 on boards.  Lot's of things the Twins could do, but to me catcher is a need that fits where they are picking.  They have taken shortstops the last three drafts.  I think catcher makes sense at three, but we'll see.

[nicksaviking]

23 minutes ago, Cody Christie said:

, including Jason Varitek, Matt Wieters, Joey Bart, and Kevin Parada. He has been one of the best offensive catchers in college baseball this spring while also showing the athleticism teams covet behind the plate.

 

I mean, I was interested....

lol

[DataNerd]

I'm guessing they take whichever of the top 3 are available.  Lombard has been getting some buzz for both the Twins and Rays; tons of upside and he would save a significant amount to play around with day 1.

[Rosterman]

They have a solid two to choose from once the first two are picked. Next stop would be 43rd, I believe. But still two more picks in the Top 100.