Diamondbacks select Arkansas C Ryder Helfrick in 1st round of 2026 MLB Draft
Ryder Helfrick was a semifinalist for the Golden Spikes Award before getting drafted by the Arizona Diamondbacks.
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LOS ANGELES — The Arizona Diamondbacks selected catcher Ryder Helfrick out of Arkansas with the No. 15 overall pick in the first round of the 2026 MLB Draft on Saturday morning.
The 6-foot-1 backstop earned Baseball America All-American honors and a spot on the SEC All-Defensive Team as a junior in 2026.
Helfrick, a right-handed hitter, was a semifinalist for the Golden Spikes Award after hitting .283 with a .979 OPS, a career-high 18 home runs and eight stolen bases.
The California native cut his strikeouts from 22.5% in 2025 to 19.1% in 2026, while his walk rate leaped from 13.6% to 19.1%. He walked as much as he struck out.
Ian Rebhan, the Diamondbacks’ director of amateur scouting called Helfrick an elite defensive catcher.
“He led the entire country in all the objective defensive metrics,” Rebhan said. “He can really throw. He controls the running game. I think he’s one of the only college catchers in the country calling his own games. So he has those skills. He can manage a pitching staff.
“And then on the offensive side of the ball, you’re getting someone who’s made a ton of strides in the last three years.”
Per The Athletic analyst Keith Law:
Helfrick is the best defensive catcher in the class. … He came into the year as a very questionable pro prospect after he whiffed on over 30% of his swings as a sophomore. … He cut that way down to 25% this year, swinging less often on all pitches while also making much more contact on sliders. The improvement was mostly just a matter of better swing decisions, while heβs also moved a little further away from the plate.
WE RYDE INTO THE NIGHT π€ pic.twitter.com/YjByMlS8B3
— Arkansas Baseball (@RazorbackBSB) April 22, 2026
Arkansas’ pitching staff was top 35 in college baseball in strikeouts and walks per nine innings, along with WHIP despite playing in the daunting SEC.
This is the highest the Diamondbacks have ever taken a catcher in the MLB Draft.
The Diamondbacks entered the draft with two picks in the opening 31 with their Competitive Balance Round A slot and a reported bonus pool of $13,603,100.
Diamondbacks take RHP Blake Bryant with No. 31 pick
With their second pick of the draft, the Diamondbacks took prep pitcher Blake Bryant out of Citizen Christian Academy in Georgia.
The 18-year-old is a 6-foot-6, right-handed pitcher who is committed to Clemson, the No. 44 overall recruit nationally ranked by Perfect Game.
“He is an elite athlete,” Rebhan said. “He was an exceptional basketball player in high school. … Really intrigued by the athlete. Just your prototypical projection high school pitcher that we think has a ton of development runway, a ton of upside and just really excited to get the raw traits.”
The last time Arizona took a high school arm this high in the draft was in 2019 with Blake Walston.
Ceiling continues to grow for 2026 RHP Blake Bryant.
5.0 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 10 K; 22 whiffs (80% strikes)
FB: 91-95 T96; Carry, S/M
SL: 79-82; Tight, 2600+
CB: 75-78
CH: 82-86; R/R feel#PBAAG25 alum & @ClemsonBaseball commit.@PrepBaseballGA || @ShooterHunt#GAHS26 pic.twitter.com/0uvOfMANLu— Ian Smith (@IanSmittyGA) March 12, 2026
Per MLB Pipeline:
His fastball already sits at 91-94 mph and tops out at 97 with ride and armside run, and Bryant should add more velocity as he gets stronger. He utilizes two different breaking balls, a sweeping low-80s slider with the potential to become a plus pitch and an upper-70s curveball. … His stuff and control will fluctuate at times, which is typical of a lanky high schooler who’s still developing physically, but he generally throws strikes.
Diamondbacks add Georgia Tech INF Carson Kerce in 2nd round
With the 53rd pick, the Diamondbacks went with a college bat who hit .384 this past season for Georgia Tech.
Shortstop Carson Kerce was tied for 16th in the country with 91 hits and finished second with 29 doubles in 2026, making First Team All-ACC.
He is a contact-over-power hitter who hardly struck out (13.3%) and nearly walked as much as he punched out (12.2%).
The 5-foot-11 infielder bats right-handed and has experience all over the diamond on defense.
“We think Carson is one of the best college shortstops in the class this year,” Rebhan said. “I think that speaks to how happy we are that we got him where he did. … You can look at the box score stats. He hit .380 this year. He started to get to power, which he hadn’t done a ton in his career. He doesn’t swing-and-miss. He doesn’t expand the strike zone. He walks. He doesn’t strike out. And there is power in there.”
ππ ππππ ππππππ π£@CarsonKerce crushes this one backsiiiiide and the Jackets are on the board! His 9th HR of the season
362 ft / 102 EV / 33 degrees
πΊ ACC Network #StingEmπ x #WreckHavoc pic.twitter.com/kVDL5wB1aL
— Georgia Tech Baseball (@GTBaseball) May 21, 2026
The MLB Draft changed its schedule this year, starting a day earlier and hosting its first four rounds on Saturday with Rounds 5-10 to resume on Sunday.
The Diamondbacks have trended toward using their first-round pick on high school bats for most of the general manager Mike Hazen era, taking Matt McLain in 2018 (he did not sign), Corbin Carroll in 2019, Jordan Lawlar in 2021, Druw Jones in 2022, Slade Caldwell in 2024 and Kayson Cunningham in 2025.
The last time Arizona selected a pitcher with its first selection was Bryce Jarvis out of Duke in 2020.
The Diamondbacks’ farm system has made strides lately, jumping up from No. 25 to No. 13 on the latest rankings from Baseball America. Arizona has been able to replenish the system with additional draft picks earned from Carroll winning NL Rookie of the Year (an incentive that led to Ryan Waldschmidt) and free agent compensation picks (Christian Walker’s exit led to pitching prospect Patrick Forbes’ selection).
Arizona also sold at the deadline last summer and added a group of prospects, including Mitch Bratt, who has been the best pitcher for Triple-A Reno this season.
Diamondbacks’ Day 1 MLB Draft picks
– Round 1, Pick 15: Arkansas catcher Ryder Helfrick
– Round CBA, Pick 31: Citizen Christian Academy (GA) pitcher Blake Bryant
– Round 2, Pick 53: Georgia Tech shortstop Carson Kerce
– Round 3, Pick 88: Florida State outfielder Brayden Dowd
– Round 4, Pick 116: Missouri pitcher Josh McDevitt
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Comments
2 Comments
Considering that the dbacks currently have one of the better catchers in the show and heβs young, I donβt know if I love the idea of drafting a catcher with our first round pick in the draft. And honestly, he kind of sounds like a defense first catcher. Which is a nice thing to have, but not as a first round pick.
That was my thought...picking a defensive catcher when the team is at the bottom 10 for offensive stats.