2026 MLB Draft Profile: Vahn Lackey
Vahn Lackey-NCAA
NAME: Vahn Lackey
SCHOOL: Georgia Tech
POSITION: Catcher
HEIGHT/WEIGHT: 6-2, 215
B/T: R/R
D.O.B: 7/7/2005
Previously Drafted: N/A
Scouting Report
Vahn Lackey wasn’t much of a draft prospect coming out of Collins Hill High School in Suwanee, Georgia. The institution is a public high school in Gwinnett County that houses over 3,100 students annually. Charity is a major part of the school’s mission with lots of opportunities to volunteer money and time. Jacksonville Jaguars two-way player Travis Hunter, former WNBA star Maya Moore and NFL quarterback Taylor Heinicke are some of the famous alumni who were once Eagles.
While Lackey was ranked as the #16 overall catching prospect in the state of Georgia, he made his way to school at Georgia Tech. In 36 games as a freshman, the backstop hit .214/.330/.381 with four homers in 84 at-bats. The teenager was much better as a sophomore as he slashed .347/.421/.500 in 2025 over the course of 60 games and 220 plus plate appearances. Lackey pumped out six homers with 38 strikeouts and 25 walks on the year.
The catcher came into the season as a top 20 prospect in the 2026 class but he’s vaulted to the top of the draft and should be one of the first names called in July. He was a Buster Posey award semi-finalist last year along with being named to the ACC All 2nd Team. It’s safe to say that he’ll be a first team member this time around.
As a junior, the 20-year-old slashed .407/.529/.790 with just 37 strikeouts and 50 walks on the year. He hit 20 homers this season and while clubbing 16 doubles as well. Lackey also stole 34 bases in his college career. Last summer, the Yellow Jacket’s star split catching duties on Team USA as well.
In 2024, Lackey hit .196/.343/.297 with three homers over the course of 41 games for the Traverse City Pit Spitters in the Northwoods League. He did walk 26 times with 29 strikeouts. In a brief appearance with the Hyannis Harbor Hawks in the Cape Cod League, Lackey struggled with a .314 OPS in six games back in 2025 as well. The lack of wood bat success can be seen as a red flag for players but Lackey has ascended overall during his junior season.
Lackey is ranked as the #3 overall player in the 2026 class for MLB Pipeline. The publication gives him a 60-grade for his hit and arm with 55’s on the power and fielding. His run times graded out as a 50 on the 20-80 scale. They noted that he was a “late-bloomer” who didn’t attend a ton of showcase events as a prep player. Despite an often chaotic swing, the athletic catcher has made consistent all fields contact while displaying a patient approach.
On draft day, Lackey will be newly turned 21 and the premium athlete is expected to follow in the footsteps of Jason Varitek, Matt Wieters, Joey Bart and Kevin Parada as first round catchers from Georgia Tech. Scouts generally see this version as the best of the bunch however. Lackey doesn’t miss fastballs often and he projects to hit 20 plus homers on an annual basis.
He needs to loft the ball more consistently and there’s a history of too much ground ball contact in the hitting profile but he’s a versatile player with above-average run times at present. Lackey is agile behind the dish but he’ll need some work on his blocking and receiving as a professional. He’s played some third base in college and some believe that he could be a regular in center field or shortstop but he’ll be one of the best catching prospects in baseball as soon as he signs with premium upside behind the plate.
In a recent change, friend of the podcast Joe Doyle moved Vahn Lackey into the #1 overall spot on his big board at Overslot Baseball. An accompanying podcast episode explained his thought process thoroughly and it’s an interesting listen for White Sox’s fans. In regards to Baseball America, the longtime publication also slots Lackey into the #3 overall spot on their big board.
Carlos Collzao writes that Lackey possesses a “hit over power” profile while noting that he displays a passive approach at times. It was also detailed that the catcher threw out 32.5% of baserunners in 2025 while being an “excellent athlete with the tools to become a plus defensive catcher”. He’s a confident receiver and blocker with “great actions behind the plate and a plus arm”.
Why Would The White Sox Draft Vahn Lackey?
Vahn Lackey has been thoroughly scouted and evaluated by the White Sox throughout the draft process. He could be the selection because he’s one of the best players in the class. It doesn’t seem likely but it could definitely be classified as a possibility. Chris Getz has continually stated that the organization will take the top player on their board. The selection also comes with a slot value of nearly $11.4 million.
The Georgia Tech catcher wouldn’t be likely to command the same level of bonus as Roch Cholowsky or Grady Emerson; both represented by Joel Wolfe of the Wasserman Group. The White Sox value catchers and have acquired multiple at the position in recent years. Getz has placed an emphasis on up the middle players in his short tenure and the draft is one area in which that has come to fruition.
Lackey is a dynamic, ascending player at a premium position. The risks are evident as well. He’s basically a one year performer without a history of showcase or wood bat success. He also hasn’t played catcher full time and would likely require a longer developmental track as he moves through the minor leagues. Lackey could be a plus defensive catcher with a premium hit tool and power though so the upside could outweigh the risks.
With Mike Shirley as director of amateur scouting, the White Sox have used first round picks on three left-handed pitchers and three shortstops. The selection of Vahn Lackey would parlay another stellar athlete at a premium position but it would move away from the recent pattern of tabbing shortstops in the round. The 21-year-old isn’t the favorite to go at the top of the draft but he’s assuredly in the club’s mix to discuss more over the next month.
Mock Draft Outcomes
There has been a strong consensus in mock drafts so far with Roch Cholowsky and Grady Emerson going in the top two picks pretty much everywhere throughout the process. Another strong lean has formed as well though with Georgia Tech catcher Vahn Lackey recognized as the third best prospect in the class universally. The most recent mock drafts at Baseball America and from Kiley McDaniel at ESPN have projected the Minnesota Twins to nab the Rambling Wreck catcher at #3 overall.
Joe Doyle at Overslot.com notoriously despises mock drafts but he also projected the catcher to the Twins at #3 overall. The crew at Just Baseball followed suit as well. Keith Law of The Athletic made some internet waves projecting Texas prep Grady Emerson to the Sox’s at #1 but he settled on the Twins for Lackey as well.
In Mock Draft 1.0 for FutureSox back in April, I projected that the Minnesota Twins would select Vahn Lackey with the #3 overall pick in the draft as well. The only deviation that I found from a major publication to date was from Jonathan Mayo at MLB Pipeline. While alternating weeks with Jim Callis, the veteran prospect writer predicted that Lackey would land with the Pittsburgh Pirates at #5 overall in his most recent mock draft.
