It looks like the Twins have their Ryan Jeffers replacement. As most major mock drafts predicted, the Minnesota Twins have selected Georgia Tech catcher Vahn Lackey with the third overall pick in the 2026 MLB Draft. UCLA shortstop Roch Cholowsky went No. 1 to the Chicago White Sox, and Fort Worth Christian High School shortstop Grady Emerson went No. 2 to the Tampa Bay Rays.
With Jeffers set to be a free agent at the end of this season, there's a good chance that Minnesota plans for Lackey to be its catcher of the future. Based on how fast top collegiate players reach the majors these days, it wouldn't be a complete surprise if Lackey reached the big leagues as soon as next year.
The Twins have exciting catching prospects in their organization, including Eduardo Tait, whom the Twins acquired from the Philadelphia Phillies as part of the Jhoan Duran trade last summer, and Enrique Jimenez, whom the Twins acquired from the Detroit Tigers as part of the Chris Paddack trade in July.
However, while Tait is MLB Pipeline's No. 38 overall prospect, Lackey may have even more potential. There was speculation that the White Sox or Rays would consider drafting Lackey, given the fact that he appears to be a five-tool catcher, an extremely rare skill set to find in a catcher.
Twins fans should love Twins' decision to select Vahn Lackey in 2026 MLB Draft
Lackey, who stands at 6-foot-2 and weighs 215 pounds, is coming off an outstanding junior season at Georgia Tech, slashing .397/.519/.772 (170 wRC+) with 20 home runs.
Lackey, 21, didn't receive any NCAA Division I offers until his senior year in 2023, and he hit just .214/.330/.381 over 36 games in his freshman year. He took his game as a collegiate player to the next level last year, hitting .347/.421/.500 across 60 games.
Here are Lackey's scouting grades per MLB Pipeline:
Hit: 60 | Power: 60 | Run: 50 | Arm: 60 | Field: 55 | Overall: 60
Lackey, the first catcher to be selected by Minnesota in the first round since Joe Mauer, is an agile catcher with a strong and accurate arm, per MLB Pipeline. He also logged innings at third base with Georgia Tech.
Here are the rest of the Twins' draft picks:
- Round 2, No. 43
- Competitive Balance Round B, No. 74
- Round 3, No. 79
- Round 4, No. 107
- Round 5, No. 139
- Rounds 6-20, the Twins will have the No. 4 selection of each round
Picks 11-40 will be available to watch on Peacock, MLB Network, MLB.com, MLB TV and MLB+ from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. CDT.
The remainder of the opening rounds will be streamed on Peacock, MLB.com, MLB TV and MLB+ from 3:30 p.m. CDT to 6:45 p.m. CDT. Rounds 5 through 20 will take place on Sunday, July 12, from 10:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. CDT on Peacock, MLB.com, MLB TV and MLB+.
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