The Minnesota Twins are hoping to land a game-changer in this weekend’s MLB Draft and most experts believe they could land Georgia Tech catcher Vahn Lackey. A player who has the upside of a generational prospect, Lackey figured to be the Twins' top target after a dominant season for the Yellow Jackets but The Athletic’s Keith Law suggests it may have become public knowledge.
In his latest mock draft, Law projected Lackey to be off the board by the time the Twins are on the clock and selected second overall by the Tampa Bay Rays.
“The Rays may have the wildest mix in the top three, as it seems they could still take Lackey, Roch Cholowsky, Jackson Flora or Tyler Bell, the latter on an under-slot deal to preserve some money for subsequent picks,” Law wrote. “I do get the sense that Lackey is their top choice, as he might be a generational talent and the solution to the Rays’ nearly 30-year problem behind the plate, too.”
Rays could snipe Vahn Lackey right from underneath Twins during MLB Draft
Lackey broke out for Georgia Tech during the 2025 season, hitting .347/.421/.500 with six homers, 42 RBI and 18 stolen bases on 21 attempts. But the 21-year-old experienced a power surge this season, hitting .397/.519/.772 with 20 homers, 78 RBI and 15 stolen bases on 16 attempts.
Those numbers were punctuated by an impressive showing in the NCAA Tournament, where he hit a 456-foot homer over the scoreboard in a win over Illinois-Chicago and unleashed a 468-foot bomb the following night against eventual national champion Oklahoma.
With an elite defensive game behind the plate, the Twins could see Lackey as the eventual replacement for Ryan Jeffers if they trade him ahead of next month’s deadline or he leaves as a free agent next winter. It would also potentially set up an intriguing catching tandem for the future as Eduardo Tait, who is currently the Twins’ No. 3 prospect per MLB Pipeline, is at High-A Cedar Rapids.
But as much as the Twins could use Lackey, the Rays may need him even more. Since being founded in 1998, Tampa Bay has had just three catchers (Dioner Navarro in 2008, Wilson Ramos in 2018 and Mike Zunino in 2021) selected to the All-Star Game. Rays catchers also rank 15th in OPS this season while rolling with the current tandem of Hunter Feduccia and Nick Fortes.
While Nathan Flewelling and Caden Bonine are Tampa’s second and third-ranked prospects per MLB Pipeline, Lackey may be a cut above and could be on a fast track to the majors if the Rays make the selection at No. 2.
This would be disappointing for the Twins, but they could also wind up benefiting if Roch Cholowsky or Grady Emerson falls to them with the third overall pick. Unless Minnesota goes a completely opposite direction, they should be able to land one of the top three prospects in the draft, although any dream of Lackey being available could be dead by the time Saturday rolls around.
Add us as a preferred source on Google