Twins Prospect Hot Sheet: Vahn Lackey Discovers His Power Stroke

[Cody Christie]

Image courtesy of Malamut Photography (photo of Vahn Lackey)

The calendar is about to flip to September, which means the final opportunities are arriving for prospects across the Minnesota Twins organization. The regular season is winding down, and every at-bat can carry a little more weight for players hoping to finish the year on a strong note.

For some prospects, September is about continuing to build momentum. For others, it can be a chance to force their way into the organization's plans for next season. This week's Hot Sheet features three hitters doing just that, including Minnesota's first-round pick from the 2026 MLB Draft.

C Vahn Lackey — Fort Myers Mighty Mussels/Cedar Rapids Kernels

How He Got Here: Vahn Lackey wasn't always viewed as an obvious future first-round pick. The Georgia high school catcher was a late bloomer and didn't receive his first NCAA Division I offers until his senior year in 2023. He also didn't generate much buzz among scouts because he participated in relatively few showcase events.

That all changed during his time at Georgia Tech. Lackey improved dramatically each season with the Yellow Jackets and emerged as the top catching prospect in the 2026 MLB Draft. He hit .397/.519/.772 as a junior, putting himself firmly in the first-round conversation.

The Twins ultimately selected Lackey No. 3 overall, making him their highest draft pick since Royce Lewis in 2017. He signed for nearly $9.5 million and quickly got to work in professional baseball, making his debut with Single-A Fort Myers.

Hitting the Hot Button: Lackey is already showing signs that his power will translate to professional baseball. He played five games between Low-A Fort Myers and Cedar Rapids, going 5-for-15 (.333) with two home runs, five RBI, 11 walks, a .615 on-base percentage and a 1.348 OPS.

The power surge is especially encouraging considering the overall approach Lackey has shown since making his professional debut. He owns a 145 wRC+ in 20 games, along with a 23.7 BB% and a 20.4 K%. The Twins knew Lackey could hit when they selected him third overall. Seeing him already make an impact against professional pitching, while also showing the ability to drive the ball over the fence, only adds to the excitement surrounding his future.

INF Ramiro Dominguez — Cedar Rapids Kernels

How He Got Here: The Twins signed Ramiro Dominguez as a 17-year-old for $10,000 during the 2024 international signing period. He made his professional debut later that year in the Dominican Summer League, batting .272/.336/.376 (.712) with a 91 wRC+.

Dominguez took a noticeable step forward after coming stateside in 2025. His walk rate increased by more than three percentage points while his strikeout rate dropped by nearly five percentage points. His OPS also jumped 68 points, and he finished the season with a 128 wRC+. That improvement helped establish Dominguez as an intriguing middle-infield prospect, but his defensive home remains an important part of his development.

Hitting the Hot Button: Dominguez made quite an impression in his first game with Cedar Rapids, hitting two home runs Thursday night, including a grand slam, in his High-A debut. The power came after he played 90 games with Fort Myers, where he slashed .237/.349/.391 with a .352 wOBA and a 101 wRC+. Those numbers don't jump off the page, but his ability to get on base has remained one of the more intriguing parts of his offensive profile.

Defensively, Dominguez has undergone an interesting transition. He played primarily second base during his first two professional seasons, but the Twins have used him almost exclusively at shortstop this year. If Dominguez can prove he belongs at shortstop, it could give the organization more patience with some of his offensive shortcomings. A middle infielder capable of playing shortstop doesn't need to produce like a middle-of-the-order hitter to provide value.

OF Kala'i Rosario — St. Paul Saints

How He Got Here: Kala'i Rosario entered the 2020 Draft as the top prospect in Hawaii, but the shortened five-round draft forced him to wait until the fifth round before the Twins selected him. Rosario has provided plenty of reasons for optimism throughout his professional career. He won Midwest League MVP honors and then tied for the Arizona Fall League lead in home runs in 2023, creating significant expectations heading into the following season.

An elbow injury cost him roughly two months in 2024 and slowed some of his momentum. Rosario did make up for some of that lost development time with another stint in the Arizona Fall League. Last season, he spent the entire year at Double-A and continued to demonstrate his offensive upside, posting an .844 OPS and a 131 wRC+ over 130 games.

Hitting the Hot Button: Rosario has already spent two separate stretches at Triple-A this season when the Saints needed additional outfield depth. The Twins promoted him back to St. Paul on August 5, giving him another opportunity to prove he belongs closer to the majors.

He's making the most of it. Over his last 11 games, Rosario has gone 9-for-39 with four home runs and two doubles, producing a .590 SLG and an .875 OPS. The power has always been one of his biggest calling cards, and this recent stretch is another reminder of what he can do when he's locked in.

There is also an important offseason decision approaching. Minnesota will need to determine whether Rosario deserves a spot on the 40-man roster this winter because he will once again be Rule 5 eligible. No team selected him when he was exposed last offseason, but the situation could look different this time around. Rosario is now closer to the majors, has more Triple-A experience and continues to show legitimate power.

The final weeks of the minor league season don't provide much time for prospects to change their long-term outlook, but they can still leave a lasting impression.

Lackey is already showing why he is one of baseball’s top catching prospects. Dominguez is trying to establish himself as a legitimate shortstop while providing more offensive impact. Rosario is attempting to make the case that his power can finally translate into a major-league opportunity.

September will bring plenty of attention to Minnesota's big-league roster, but these are the types of performances worth watching throughout the organization's farm system. With the offseason approaching, every hot streak can help shape what comes next.

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What stands out about this trio and their recent hot stretch? Leave a comment and start the discussion.

 

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[Fatbat]

The development of prospects recently has been extremely hopeful!  Someone is bringing in top level ability and top notch humans. 
Lackey seriously should be sent to Wichita next week.,.   The kid is not long for MiLB.  Ceiling is HOF. 
Rosario should be on the 40 man! Keep the RH bat that can slug 30 HR’s.  We need that!!! 

[PuckettPond]

Looking forward to watching his HOF career. Great bat, power, defense, arm, base running we are fortunate to have the best catching prospect in Twins history. Sit back grab a Hamm's & watch history.

[Mike h]

Hello?  Pucketpond?  Did you ever hear of a catcher named Joe Mauer?

[jmlease1]

I really don't know what to think about Rosario at this point. He swings hard, K's a lot, hits homers, plays poor defense, will swipe a bag if you don't hold him on, and might be a right-handed version of Matt Wallner? That's a useful player unless/until opposing pitchers find a clear weakness that they can exploit. He'll be despised around here because of the K's if he comes up, and he doesn't have Wallner's arm. But the Twins have needed RH thump to counter LHP...

The gap between AAA and MLB is fairly significant, but there's an argument to be made that Rosario has been the best hitter for the Saints this season. (I'd still take Jenkins or Rodriguez, but Rosario has a higher OPS than either of them) Biggest argument against Rosario for that is he's only had 102 PA's in AAA, and that's just not a lot.

He's been better in AAA than he was in AA so far this season. Again, is this just small sample size or is he figuring things out? I'm still a little skeptical. He kind of got passed over by Fedko (who has the advantage of being a quality OF) and while Fedko did nothing with the Twins...he didn't exactly get much opportunity either.

But this is part of why I'd be pretty comfortable moving on from Larnach next season and playing "the kids" in the OF. Between Jenkins, Rodriguez, Gonzalez, Mendez, Fedko, and Rosario it's not like there aren't options especially with Keaschall needing to find a defensive home, and Martin maybe still being around too. Maybe Rosario is part of that mix? It'll be interesting to see if he gets added to the 40-man.

[twinstalker]

Rosario:  2026 K rate 31% ------> 40% in MLB.  He's not a real prospect.  We've been through this before with Severino.  These guys are organization guys.

[DJL44]

They have basically zero pitchers worthy of “hot list” consideration. That is concerning.

[Fatbat]

I was just reading about Tinney. Wow!!! He may be our next 1B that crushes the ball and bats over .229….

[Whammy]

5 minutes ago, Fatbat said:

I was just reading about Tinney. Wow!!! He may be our next 1B that crushes the ball and bats over .229….

Over .229?

So.... .290?

[Jeff K]

4 hours ago, jmlease1 said:

I really don't know what to think about Rosario at this point. He swings hard, K's a lot, hits homers, plays poor defense, will swipe a bag if you don't hold him on, and might be a right-handed version of Matt Wallner? That's a useful player unless/until opposing pitchers find a clear weakness that they can exploit. He'll be despised around here because of the K's if he comes up, and he doesn't have Wallner's arm. But the Twins have needed RH thump to counter LHP...

The gap between AAA and MLB is fairly significant, but there's an argument to be made that Rosario has been the best hitter for the Saints this season. (I'd still take Jenkins or Rodriguez, but Rosario has a higher OPS than either of them) Biggest argument against Rosario for that is he's only had 102 PA's in AAA, and that's just not a lot.

He's been better in AAA than he was in AA so far this season. Again, is this just small sample size or is he figuring things out? I'm still a little skeptical. He kind of got passed over by Fedko (who has the advantage of being a quality OF) and while Fedko did nothing with the Twins...he didn't exactly get much opportunity either.

But this is part of why I'd be pretty comfortable moving on from Larnach next season and playing "the kids" in the OF. Between Jenkins, Rodriguez, Gonzalez, Mendez, Fedko, and Rosario it's not like there aren't options especially with Keaschall needing to find a defensive home, and Martin maybe still being around too. Maybe Rosario is part of that mix? It'll be interesting to see if he gets added to the 40-man.

I think I read that Fedko was released either yesterday or today.  I would have thought the 60 Day dl.

[Wedman13]

6 hours ago, PuckettPond said:

Looking forward to watching his HOF career. Great bat, power, defense, arm, base running we are fortunate to have the best catching prospect in Twins history. Sit back grab a Hamm's & watch history.

The best catching prospect in any team's history in 25 years.... no pressure kid

[Wedman13]

6 hours ago, Mike h said:

Hello?  Pucketpond?  Did you ever hear of a catcher named Joe Mauer?

My guess is, yes he has.  And PP made the comment they did.  You disagree? (I know you made it in fun).  Vahn lackey is the best catcher this team will have ever had.  And I love Brian Harper

  

[old nurse]

1 hour ago, Jeff K said:

I think I read that Fedko was released either yesterday or today.  I would have thought the 60 Day dl.

DFA to make room for Ross 

[William K Johnson]

7 hours ago, PuckettPond said:

Looking forward to watching his HOF career. Great bat, power, defense, arm, base running we are fortunate to have the best catching prospect in Twins history. Sit back grab a Hamm's & watch history.

Hold that statement until he wins three batting titles and is enshrined in Cooperstown.