Vahn Lackey is MLB Pipeline's No. 3-ranked prospect for the 2026 Draft. Here is everything that you need to know about Lackey.
FAST FACTS
MLB Pipeline ranking: No. 3
Position: C
Height/weight: 6-foot-2, 215 lbs.
Bats/throws: R/R
Age: 20 (Born July 7, 2005)
School: Georgia Tech
MLB PIPELINE SCOUTING GRADES (20-to-80 scale)
Hit: 60
Power: 55
Run: 50
Arm: 60
Field: 55
Overall: 60
1. He's the latest elite backstop to come out of Georgia Tech
The Yellow Jackets know a thing or two about churning out high-quality catching prospects. It's a lineage that dates back to Jason Varitek, the No. 14 overall pick in the 1994 Draft out of Georgia Tech by the Seattle Mariners. Since then, three other GT catchers have been selected in the first round: Matt Wieters (No. 5 overall, 2007), Joey Bart (No. 2, 2018) and Kevin Parada (No. 11, 2022).
Georgia Tech has produced 12 first-round picks, not including those players taken in the supplemental round. Four of the 12 have been catchers, and it sure looks like Lackey is going to make it five of 13.
2. His power has come a long way
Really, we could have said that Lackey has come a long way, because he has: He did not receive his first collegiate offer until his senior year of high school, benefitting in part from a late growth spurt. As Lackey recently told The Athletic, he wasn't even "in the recruiting world."
Of late, though, the story is Lackey's power, a development that fueled his ascension into one of the best players in college baseball. In his first two seasons at Georgia Tech, Lackey hit a total of 10 home runs. He launched 20 homers last year, posting a .772 slugging percentage -- more than double the .381 SLG he tallied as a freshman. Now, his power is a 55-grade tool, per MLB Pipeline.
Lackey's .772 slugging percentage tied Mark Teixeira (2000) for the second-highest slugging percentage by a Georgia Tech player this century.
3. Wait until you hear about his best game ever
Lackey isn't your typical catcher. He can play some third base -- he did so in 13 games last season -- and is plenty athletic, as evidenced by his 33 stolen bases across the last two years. That versatility led to a one-of-a-kind performance in Georgia Tech's seven-inning victory over West Georgia in early March, a game that Lackey called "the best night of my college career."
Inspired by a feat he saw Buster Posey complete during the catcher's time at Florida State, Yellow Jackets manager James Ramsey shuffled Lackey around the diamond, with the goal of him manning as many positions as possible during a single game. By the end of it, Lackey played every position but pitcher. On top of that, he thrived at the plate, finishing a single shy of the cycle. All of it made for one of the more peculiar, and impressive, performances in college baseball last season.
4. He won the Johnny Bench Award
Now this is more typical of an elite college catcher: Lackey won this year's Johnny Bench Award, an annual distinction given to the best male catcher in NCAA Division I baseball. Bench, widely considered the greatest catcher in MLB history, decided to create his own award in 2019 to recognize outstanding college and high school catchers (the award formerly known as the Johnny Bench Award is now called the Buster Posey Award). Past winners include MLB players like Adley Rutschman (2019), Patrick Bailey (2020) and Kyle Teel (2023).
Lackey became the third Georgia Tech player to win the Johnny Bench Award, joining Joey Bart (2018) and Kevin Parada (2022).
5. He suited up for Team USA
Lackey earned a spot on the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team following his sophomore season, serving as one of two catchers on the roster. He made four appearances behind the plate against Japan in the Collegiate All-Star Series, highlighted by a memorable inside-the-park home run.