Minnesota Twins Select Catcher Vahn Lackey No. 3 Overall in 2026 MLB Draft

Twins select Georgia Tech catcher Vahn Lackey at No. 3 overall

A Consensus Choice at No. 3

The 2026 draft class featured a clear top-tier trio, and the Twins’ strategy remained steady as the board fell into place. The White Sox selected UCLA shortstop Roch Cholowsky first, followed by the Rays, who took Texas high-school shortstop Grady Emerson at No. 2. This left the Twins to select Lackey, who had transformed from a borderline first-round prospect into the consensus third player in the class following a breakout junior season. The selection marks the highest the organization has drafted since taking Royce Lewis No. 1 overall in 2017. It also represents a return to the team’s history with premier backstops; Lackey is the first catcher taken as the Twins’ top pick since the club selected Joe Mauer No. 1 overall in 2001.

Joe Mauer’s legacy and the 2026 Johnny Bench Award for Vahn Lackey

Scouting the “Complete” Prospect

Industry consensus suggests the Twins secured a player with rare defensive and offensive utility. Lackey, a 21-year-old native of the Atlanta area who turned 21 the week of the draft, stands 6-foot-2 and weighs 215 pounds. He earned the 2026 Johnny Bench Award as the best male catcher in NCAA Division I. His collegiate production was significant, hitting .397 with 20 home runs and 78 RBIs across 61 games for the Yellow Jackets. He is the fifth backstop from Georgia Tech to be taken in the first round in the past 35 years, joining Jason Varitek, Matt Wieters, Joey Bart, and Kevin Parada.

“Just a great fit for our organization, on every front,” said Twins scouting director Sean Johnson. “Fantastic player, fantastic human being, great character. The more work we did on Vahn over the last few months going back to last summer, the glowing reviews — he has raving fans wherever he’s been — just a fantastic teammate, beyond the skills.”

“We really just love the way, defensively, he can really throw, he’s athletic, he blocks, he does all the little things that you want to see a catcher do,” Johnson added. “He can take charge on the field. You can’t take your eyes off him when he’s out there. His presence is really good. All the things you want to see, the intangibles, he has them.”

Twins organization addresses catching depth behind Ryan Jeffers and Eduardo Tait

Where Lackey Fits in the Farm System

With his draft status confirmed, the focus shifts to how quickly Lackey can ascend the organization’s ranks. While the Twins have generally taken a measured approach with recent first-round picks, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Lackey begin his career in Low-A before finishing the season with Cedar Rapids if he performs well. His arrival addresses a specific organizational need. Current major league starter Ryan Jeffers, who just came back from the injured list, is eligible for free agency at the end of this season. Furthermore, there is a dearth of catching depth in the top levels of the organization, with the club’s top catching prospect, Eduardo Tait, currently at High-A Cedar Rapids.

Walker Jenkins and Kaelen Culpepper rank ahead of Vahn Lackey in Twins Daily

Lackey is currently positioned behind two elite prospects in the Twins Daily rankings: outfielder Walker Jenkins and shortstop Kaelen Culpepper. Jenkins, the former fifth overall pick, reached Triple-A during his age-20 season and remains the top prospect in the system. Culpepper, who broke out in 2025 with a 138 wRC+ between High-A and Double-A, is currently dealing with a nagging glute strain but has posted a 122 wRC+ at the Triple-A level. Despite the talent ahead of him, many scouts believe Lackey has the potential to eventually rank No. 1. He is about 2 1/2 years younger than Culpepper and only slightly older than Jenkins, despite coming from the college ranks.

“The more we went in to scout Georgia Tech, our guys kept coming out of there going, ‘I thought he was the best player on the field,’” Johnson said. “Every time we sent someone in there to see him that hadn’t seen him before—and we had people that hadn’t seen him for a while now—they all came out with the same answer. He’s hard to take your eyes off when you see him play.”

Regarding his own journey to the draft, Lackey reflected on his progress: “I feel like just giving myself a shot to play at the next level, it’s something a kid can only dream of, and it’s really cool to see how I was when I was 11 to 13 to 15 to now. To see my progress through all of this has really been a cool thing to see for sure.”

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