Vahn Lackey

It's not often you come upon a five tool catcher, but Vahn Lackey could be just that. Lackey only garnered 103 plate appearances his freshman year, but returned his sophomore year and put the entirety of the ACC on notice. He hit .347 with a .421 on-base percentage, ultimately finishing as a semifinalist for the Buster Posey Award. Early on in 2026, those results have all but been blown out of the water. Lackey is putting up gaudy metrics and stats to start off the year, showing strides forward in multiple aspects of his game. The rate at which Lackey seems to be improving is exciting. Not only has he looked like by far and away the best catcher in this class, but a potential top 5 pick.

At the plate, Lackey boasts high-level bat-to-ball skills, rarely whiffing against fastballs and showing the ability to stay on breaking balls thrown towards the bottom of the zone. It's an adjustable swing that really projects to hit at the next level. Lackey has shown considerable improvement in his approach at the plate so far in 2026. His chase rates are way down, which has allowed him to draw walks at a much healthier clip than in previous years. Not only that, but Lackey is also making contact at a higher rate than ever before. Now of course, the hit tool and approach will need to hold as Lackey continues to face better and better pitching, but he's shown no signs of slowing down.

The power is probably what most people had questions about with Lackey heading into this year. Everybody knew there was raw power and bat speed here — the question was just, can he get to it? Lackey has done just that. He's starting to better understand how to get the baseball in the air, all while hitting the ball harder than last year, and hitting it harder more often. He's already surpassed his home run total from 2025, and is on the type of pace where he looks like he could double it in the coming weeks.

Lackey has mostly caught in the past, but is showing the type of positional versatility in 2026 that makes him even more intriguing. Still, behind the plate is where Lackey shines the brightest. He's as athletic as you'll find at the catching position — a legit base-stealing threat with above-average speed. Lackey is extremely athletic out of the crouch, showcasing a quick transfer and plus arm strength with great accuracy. He also excels at blocking balls in the dirt. Overall, it could end up a plus defensive package. Pair that with what could become an above-average hitter with above-average power, and the path to big league impact is quite obvious. It's hard to see a world where Lackey stays on the board very long come July.