The Minnesota Twins are heading into an uncertain offseason and one of the key factors is the future of Ryan Jeffers. Set to enter free agency after a career season, Jeffers is likely to leave Minnesota in free agency, leaving a vacancy at catcher. While Victor Caratini would fill in as the starter in that scenario, his upside isn’t there at 33 years old and it could be a move that paves the way for Lackey to be fast-tracked to the major leagues.
The third overall pick in the 2026 draft, Lackey has an enticing blend of power and athleticism at catcher. While most draft picks take time to acclimate to professional baseball, Lackey showed enough during his brief stint in the Twins organization to make it to High-A Cedar Rapids and if Jeffers leaves, it could clear the way for him to make his major league debut as soon as next season.
Vahn Lackey’s 2026 season could serve as a launching pad for next year
Lackey was a late bloomer in his path to the draft, as he was overlooked by most baseball programs as he focused on basketball. Starring at Collins Hill High School in Suwanee, Georgia, Lackey didn’t get a scholarship offer until his senior year and eventually signed with Georgia Tech.
While his freshman season didn’t go well, his breakout began during the 2025 season when he hit .347/.421/.500 with six homers, 42 RBI and 18 stolen bases in 21 attempts in 60 games. The power came the following season when Lackey hit .397/.519/.772 with 20 homers, 78 RBI and 15 steals on 16 attempts in 61 games, sending him to the top of draft boards.
By the time Lackey was taken by the Twins, any concerns of him being a late bloomer in professional baseball quickly disappeared. He began last season at Low-A Fort Myers and while his stats at the plate (.204/.389/.370, 1 HR, 9 RBI, 5 SB) didn’t appear to warrant a promotion, his defense quickly stood out, catching six of 26 potential base stealers for a 23 percent caught-stealing rate.
While that number dropped to 15 percent (2-for-13) after being promoted to High-A Cedar Rapids, his bat made the trip North, going 12-for-38 (.316) with two homers, seven RBI and eight stolen bases on nine attempts. The performance with the Kernels means he’ll likely start next season in the same spot, but also shows there’s plenty of room for him to take off.
Ryan Jeffers’s departure could help Vahn Lackey fast-track through the minors
Replacing Jeffers would not be easy. Working around a broken hamate bone suffered in May, Jeffers hit .256/.353/.461 with 14 homers, 56 RBI and a stolen base in 92 games last season. He also cut his strikeout rate to a career-low 17.9 percent while posting a career-high walk rate of 12.5 percent and paired that with a 10.6 percent caught-stealing rate and minus-2 defensive runs saved behind the plate.
That’s a player the Twins would probably like to keep. But even if Tom Pohlad wants to increase the payroll, a deal worth between $15 to $20 million per season may be too much to keep a 29-year-old catcher.
Caratini would be the next man up in this situation and Noah Cardenas would be the backup according to FanGraphs’s depth chart. But Cardenas isn’t an insurmountable obstacle, and the rest of the catcher depth isn’t promising, even with Eduardo Tait and Carson Tinney, who rank sixth and 10th in the organization, respectively, according to MLB Pipeline.
Even if Lackey’s offensive numbers are just serviceable, his defense could help him fly through the system. With minor league baseball also set to be played in the case of a lockout at the major league level, Lackey will get reps no matter what, which could have him ready to go as the Twins get deeper into the summer.
Chances are that Lackey is more likely to make his debut in 2028. But after a quick start this season, it’s possible he could reach the majors sooner than expected and that path could be accelerated even more if Jeffers leaves in free agency.
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