The D-backs used the No. 15 pick in the 2026 MLB Draft on Arkansas catcher Ryder Helfrick, a right-handed hitter whose value starts behind the plate and extends to real pop in the batter’s box.
Helfrick built his profile the hard way. He first turned heads in the summer of 2024, tying for the Cape Cod League lead with 11 homers, then followed that by slugging .616 with 15 home runs over 190 at-bats for the Razorbacks the next season. MLB Pipeline ranked him as the No. 11 prospect in this year’s Draft class.
At 6-foot-1 and 210 pounds, Helfrick comes with a reputation as a polished defensive backstop. He handles a pitching staff well, calls games with aplomb and brings a strong arm to go with solid receiving, framing and blocking. The throwing tool can still sharpen up if he cleans up his transfer from glove to hand and tightens his accuracy.
His bat has been enough to keep him squarely in the conversation. The one concern is his tendency to chase pitches out of the zone, but the overall package points to a catcher who can stick in the majors.
Helfrick’s path to this point included an up-and-down senior season in high school, even though he was already considered one of the top prep catchers in the 2023 Draft class. He chose Arkansas, and the move paid off.
As a sophomore, he earned First Team ABCA/Rawlings South All-Region honors and made the NCAA Fayetteville Regional All-Tournament Team. He was also named the 2025 NCAA Fayetteville Regional Tournament MVP after putting together a .545/.643/1.364 slash line with three home runs.
That same tournament included one of the biggest pitching moments in College World Series history: Helfrick was behind the plate for Gage Wood’s 19-strikeout no-hitter against Murray State on June 16, 2025, the third no-hitter in College World Series history and the first since 1960.
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Diamondbacks Just Made A First Round Pick Fans Will Debate
The Diamondbacks used their first-round pick on Ryder Helfrick, a catcher from Arkansas whose profile is built on defense first and upside behind the plate. In a draft class where opinions on him are all over the map, Helfrick has drawn praise for his glove, his arm and the kind of power that can make a catcher more than just a bat-control project.
Arizonas choice fits the kind of debate that tends to follow a first-round selection with a wide range of evaluations. Helfrick is viewed by some as one of the safer defensive bets at the position, but the questions about his contact ability and pitch recognition are real enough to keep the conversation going, especially for a club trying to balance present needs with long-term value. [Read more 🡒]
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Children 15 and younger can receive up to two free tickets with the purchase of an adult ticket, a straightforward offer that fits the teams push to keep baseball accessible. For the D-backs, it is about more than filling seats for one weekend - it is about getting kids through the gates, around the ballpark and into the habit of coming back. [Read more 🡒]