I, actually, follow college baseball and the MLB Draft a bit. I pretty much only care about the elite teams (ACC,SEC), as that's were all the prospects come from these days -- I Watch some Big 10, only because of the ex-PAC-12 teams dominate (USC, UCLA, Oregon, ect).
The days of random Big East teams, Northern teams, mid-western or mid-majors producing top prospects are likely over, as the transfer portal usually skews them to the top southern or western schools.
Seaton Hall, for example, was building a real powerful squad, but were decimated after the 2025 season.
Aiden Robinson, top prospect (Mets round 2), went to Texas. Ex-Pirates, elite catcher went to Arkansas. Connecticut, which almost made it to the CB World Series in 2024, just lost the top pitcher in the Big East to Florida State.
Anyhow, I'm surprised CBS Sports didn't mention Vahn Lackey's most "
marketable" trait, his "
room-brightening smile"
I watched Georgia Tech several times. No surprise regarding the media hype Lackey, as he was very good. I wonder when he's going to be compared to the
very rare White cornerbacks that recently entered the NFL, via Iowa? When's that article coming?
Again, the big narrative, constantly being pushed from ESPN, regarding Lackey, was always his "
smile". Particularly when rabbi Ravitch was doing the games. It came up almost every time Lackey batted.
The "Vahn Lackey baseball smile" refers to a viral, joyful moment captured on camera showing Georgia Tech catcher Vahn Lackey grinning from ear to ear during a college baseball broadcast. The clip, shared by ESPN, highlighted his infectious, child-like love for the game. Lackey's infectious energy and rapid development from a late-blooming, under-recruited high school player to an elite MLB Draft prospect became one of the most celebrated stories in college baseball. His breakout career at Georgia Tech, coupled with his constant smiles on the field, made him a fan favorite.
Georgia Tech's Vahn Lackey is one of the best catchers in college baseball. Super smart, caring first for others, always smiling, always ...
It was all smiles. It was just a child-like love for the game and that's as a coach
More than baseball ... “He's one of our favorite players to be around and he always has a smile on his face,” Tech teammate Alex Hernandez said.
Vaughn is such a great, lovable kid with a huge smile. He seems to ...
Couple last points:
Lackey is getting the attention that Atlanta catcher Drake Baldwin never got. Is it because Baldwin rarely smiles, or because Baldwin is a mixed-race mulatto, who grew up playing ice hockey in Wisconsin -- i.e., seen as an outlier and not a true brother? I think it's the "latter".
Second, some CF trivia:
Charles Johnson was 1st player ever drafted by the Marlins. Who was the 2nd player ever drafted by the Marlins?
Hint:
He's currently an NFL G.M. and not totally beloved, by some, here at Castefootball? He, also, famously
threw the very first pitch (<video) in the history of the Marlins organization as a pitcher for the Erie Sailors in 1992.
I actually have a couple of his football cards (Topps), although I have not purchased a trading card in a long, long time.
Here's a rare baseball card of the current NFL GM.
