Georgia Tech’s Vahn Lackey looks like ‘franchise-changing player’ in MLB draft

Vahn Lackey’s Georgia Tech career has concluded. It was a disappointing ending — Tech was stunned by Oklahoma in the Atlanta Regional — but Lackey’s legacy will remain with the program throughout its existence.

An unheralded recruit from Suwanee, Lackey transformed into the nation’s best catcher. Tech has a remarkable lineage of backstops, but Lackey’s overall skill set made him one of the most illustrious figures in Tech history.

He managed pitchers admirably. His offensive approach was extremely advanced. And the dazzling power he developed seemed incomprehensible at times. In his final weekend with the Jackets, he smashed home runs of 456 feet and 468 feet.

It’s the type of power that’ll draw national attention. Lackey was a popular name on social media and among those opining throughout the regional about this summer’s MLB draft.

Some analysts believe he’s the best prospect in the class. But he’s unanimously among the top 3, and therefore expected to be a foundational player for a franchise soon enough.

None of this was new to folks on the Flats. They’ve long considered themselves thankful for Lackey’s presence, knowing he’s an extremely rare player — even for a school that routinely produces major league catchers. He’s also one of the best development stories in Tech history, a testament to the program’s infrastructure and its coaches.

“Georgia Tech is the best thing that’s ever happened to me,” Lackey said Monday. “Being really close to home, being able to live life in the city every day with my boys. The group of guys, I can’t put into words how much these guys mean to me.

“From the seniors in my freshman year who shaped us into who we are now to the freshman who came in last year, I feel like it all worked out perfectly. It sucks (we couldn’t advance). But Georgia Tech is the best thing that ever happened to me.”

Lackey, who turns 21 next month, hit .407 with a 1.318 OPS this season. He mashed 20 homers with 78 RBIs. He also stole 15 bases in 16 attempts. It was the culmination of a three-year development arc. Lackey had hit .214 with a .711 OPS in his freshman season before posting marks of .347 and .921, respectively, in his sophomore campaign.

That’s the trajectory MLB clubs want to see from an early first-round pick. Lackey is a top-tier prospect because he transformed himself into one, as evaluators note. He wasn’t one of the premier high-schoolers in America. But he leaves college among the most coveted prospects in the country.

More than baseball

It’s not just about the monstrous swings. It’s how Lackey manages his pitchers. It’s how he can work a count. It’s his attention to detail, the time he commits to refining his craft. It’s how he can make such a profound impact throughout his program without being overly vocal. It’s his uplifting presence, how he requires nothing more than a smile to improve his peers.

“He’s one of our favorite players to be around and he always has a smile on his face,” Tech teammate Alex Hernandez said. “Obviously, it helps that he’s the best catcher in the country and he’s having the hitting season he’s having. Every single day we show up on the field, he’s always going to put a smile on his face and enjoy coming to the ballpark.”

Slugger Drew Burress, who will also be a first-round selection in next month’s draft, volunteered an endorsement of his teammate not long after Tech was eliminated. After Lackey discussed his time in Atlanta, Burress stepped in unprompted.

“I want to say something about Vahn Lackey here,” Burress said. “It has been one of the coolest things in my baseball life watching him grow up from who he was as a freshman to who he is now. He is the best player in the country, and I have no doubt about that. I’ve loved to watch this guy play this year. It’s been awesome to see him.”

Burress fought through tears to finish his point. His eyes revealed more of his thoughts on Lackey than his words ever could.

The talent is one thing. But as teams picking early in the draft seek face-of-the-operation type individuals, Lackey embodies every aspect of such. He’s a person worthy of the attention success draws. He would be a fine ambassador for any organization, someone the team would be proud to have displayed on flags around the stadium and billboards around the area.

Tech coach James Ramsey admitted he could talk about Lackey all day. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution asked him what the backstop has meant to his championship-pursuing program, and while Ramsey stopped short of spending his day with the mic, he gushed about how Lackey has been instrumental in shaping his team’s historic success — and how he’ll have the same effect on his future employer.

“It’s the smile, man, for me,” Ramsey said, laughing. “The cool part is you watch a kid play at 17 years old, and you can sit there and dream on what the future is going to look like. But it’s the days in the cage — this guy works as hard as anybody. The general managers, the scouting directors, people are ready for him to be a franchise-changing player. It’s more so that he can handle that because of the work he’s put in. It’s been such a great gradual climb to where he is. I love his walk-up song, right? Talking about his career is about to blast like bubbly. He’s on the rise and people are going to get him at this time in his career.

“People have asked me what’s his next stage of development, he just has to get promoted. You have to send this dude to Double-A, to Triple-A, to the big leagues. He’s going to do those things because he’s not going to stop working. He got here because he loves playing baseball. And a lot of times, guys are looking at the social media games, kids across the country can look at Vahn Lackey and say, when he was 16 years old and wasn’t ranked on Perfect Game. He’s been self-made. It’s been a dream that he’d tell you he’s believed in since he was young.

“Now his career is blowing up, and people are saying there are no holes in his game. But it’s the stuff that we’ve seen, the unbelievable humility. You have to work like you’re the underdog, then you have to walk around like you’re the undisputed champ. That’s the confidence he brings to this team. This is the time for him to continue to shine for us when we need him the most.”

The White Sox, Rays and Twins hold the first three picks of the draft. Lackey is most commonly connected to Minnesota. But the draft is a strange game; there are factors in play beyond just the player’s talent, so it can be challenging to predict.