Twins Draft Vahn Lackey With Third Overall Pick in 2026

WHO:

Twins Daily - The Minnesota Twins selected Vahn Lackey.

Twins Daily - Vahn Lackey is a catcher from Georgia Tech.

WHAT:

RotoWire MLB - The Twins selected Lackey with the third overall pick in the 2026 First-Year Player Draft.

AaronGleeman.com - UCLA shortstop Roch Cholowsky was selected first overall by the White Sox, and Texas high-school shortstop Grady Emerson was selected second overall by the Rays.

Twins Daily - Lackey was ranked #2 on the MLB Draft Consensus Board.

Twins Daily - Lackey posted a 170 wRC+ in 2026.

Twins Daily - Lackey hit 20 home runs in 61 games in 2026, compared to 6 home runs in 60 games in 2025.

Twins Daily - Lackey is the first catcher selected in round one by the Twins since Joe Mauer in 2001.

Twins Daily - Lackey will join Eduardo Tait as one of Minnesota’s top catching prospects.

Twins Daily - The Twins selected Lackey with the third overall pick in the 2026 MLB Draft.

Twins Daily - The slot value for the pick is $9,740,100.

Twins Daily - Lackey slashed .397/.519/.772 (1.291) with 20 home runs and 39 extra-base hits in 2026.

Twins Daily - Lackey had a 17.7% walk rate and a 13.4% strikeout rate.

Twins Daily - Lackey ended 2026 with 15 steals at a 94% success rate.

Twins Daily - Lackey is considered one of the most complete profiles in the draft class.

WHERE:

Twins Daily - Lackey is from Georgia Tech.

WHEN:

Twins Daily - The Twins' selection of Lackey occurred during the 2026 MLB Draft.

WHY:

Twins Daily - Lackey's breakout junior season made him the consensus No. 3 player in the class after entering the year as a borderline first-round pick.

Twins Daily - Lackey was viewed as an excellent defensive catcher with strong bat-to-ball skills and athleticism uncommon for the position.

Twins Daily - The Twins selected Lackey after Roch Cholowsky and Grady Emerson were chosen with the first two picks.

HOW:

Twins Daily - Lackey demonstrated good receiving and blocking skills, an excellent arm, and strong pop and transfer times behind the plate.

In a significant move during the 2026 First-Year Player Draft, the Twins have selected Lackey with the third overall pick. The White Sox kicked off the draft by choosing UCLA shortstop Roch Cholowsky with the first overall pick, while the Rays followed closely behind, selecting Texas high-school shortstop Grady Emerson second overall. This year's draft is shaping up to be an exciting event for baseball fans and teams alike.