D-backs Select 5 Players on Day 1 of Major League Baseball's 2026 Draft

The Arizona Diamondbacks selected 5 players, including Ryder Helfrick with the No. 15 overall selection, on Day 1 of the 2026 Major League Baseball Draft.

Ryder Helfrick (First Round; 15th overall) MLB.com Bio

C │ B/T: R/R │ Age: 21 (Feb. 17, 2005) │ 6-1, 210 │ University of Arkansas

• 7 overall draft prospect by Baseball America and 11 by MLB Pipeline.
• 2026 Baseball AmericaAll-American (Third Team).
• 2026 SEC All-Defensive Team (C).
• 2026 Golden Spikes semifinalist.
• As a junior at the University of Arkansas in 2026, hit .283 AVG/.417 OBP/.562 SLG/.979 OPS with 7 doubles, 1 triple, 18 homers, 53 RBI, 55 walks and 8 stolen bases in 62 games.
• Highest drafted catcher in program history and 15th Razorback chosen in the first round…previous highest Arkansas catcher chosen was current D-back catcher James McCann by the Tigers in 2011 (76th overall).
• Ninth Razorback hitter to be selected in the first round of the draft, joining OF Kevin McReynolds (No. 6, Padres, 1981), INF Jeff King (No. 1, Pirates, 1986), INF Logan Forsythe (No. 23, Padres, 2008), INF Zack Cox (No. 25, Cardinals, 2010), OF Andrew Benintendi (No. 7, Red Sox, 2015), OF Heston Kjerstad (No. 2, Orioles, 2020), INF Wehiwa Aloy (No. 30, Orioles, 2025) and OF Charles Davalan (No. 41, Dodgers, 2026). LINK
• Led college baseball in defensive runs saved (21.92), catcher framing runs (19.93) and defensive wins above replacement (1.61).
• Caught the third no-hitter in College World Series history by current Phillies’ farmhand RHP Gage Wood in the 2025 College World Series vs. Murray State.
• Posted a .989 fielding pct. and threw out 10 of 61 attempted base stealers.
• A 2022 graduate of Clayton Valley Charter High School in Concord, Calif.…was rated as the No. 46 overall player (No. 3 catcher) and No. 8 player (No. 2 catcher) in the state of California by Perfect Game.

Blake Bryant (Compensation Pick; 31st overall) MLB.com Bio

RHP │ B/T: R/R │ Age: 18 (Aug. 24, 2007) │ 6-6, 182 │ Citizens Christian Academy (Douglas, Ga.)

• 25 overall draft prospect by Prep Baseball, No. 41 by Baseball America and No. 65 by MLB Pipeline.
• Rated as the No. 7 right-handed pitcher and a Top 50 overall prospect by Perfect Game.
• Named a Preseason Southeast All-Region first Team selection.
• In 12 games during his senior season, went 10-0 with a 0.28 ERA (2 ER in 64.0 IP), 13 walks and 141 strikeouts.
• Won consecutive Georgia Independent School Association Class A championships in his junior and senior seasons.
• Committed to play at Clemson University.

Carson Kerce (Second Round; 53rd overall) MLB.com Bio

SS │ B/T: R/R │ Age: 21 (Nov. 29, 2004) │ 5-11, 200 │ Georgia Tech

• 99 overall draft prospect by Prep Baseball, No. 114 by MLB Pipeline and No. 121 by Baseball America.
• 2026 First Team All-ACC (SS).
• 2026 Brooks Wallace Award semifinalist.
• As a junior at Georgia Tech in 2026, hit .384 AVG/.473 OBP/.679 SLG/1.152 OPS with 29 doubles, 4 triples, 11 homers, 51 RBI, 34 walks and 2 stolen bases in 61 games…his 29 doubles were second most in Division 1 College Baseball.
• As a three-year starter at Georgia Tech (2024-2026), hit .336 AVG/.432 OBP/.535 SLG/.967 OPS with 54 doubles, 4 triples, 17 homers, 116 RBI, 87 walks and 10 stolen bases in 171 games.
• A 2023 graduate of Pope High School in Marietta, Ga.

Brayden Dowd (Third Round; 88th overall) MLB.com Bio

OF │ B/T: L/L │ Age: 21 (Sept. 19, 2004) │ 5-10, 180 │ Florida State University

• 178 overall draft prospect by MLB Pipeline and Baseball America.
• 2026 Third Team All-ACC (OF).
• As a junior at Florida State in 2026, hit .293 AVG/.456 OBP/.527 SLG/.984 OPS with 13 doubles, 10 homers, 36 RBI, 51 walks and 10 stolen bases in 51 games.
• Played his freshman and sophomore seasons at the University of Southern California before transferring to Florida State.
• 2024 Pac-12 All-Tournament Team.
• In 3 seasons between USC (2024-25) and FSU (2026), hit .314 AVG/.438 OBP/.493 SLG/.931 OPS with 34 doubles, 1 triple, 21 homers, 98 RBI, 118 walks and 21 stolen bases in 152 games.
• A 2023 graduate of Brother Rice High School in Bloomfield Township, Mich.

Josh McDevitt (Fourth Round; 116th overall) MLB.com Bio

RHP │ B/T: R/R │ Age: 22 (June 15, 2004) │ 6-2, 195 │ University of Missouri (Columbia, Mo.)

• 196 overall draft prospect by Baseball America.
• As a junior at Missouri in 2026, moved into a full-time starter role and in 15 starts went 3-5 with a 4.42 ERA (39 ER in 79.1 IP), 39 walks and 102 strikeouts.
• His 102 strikeouts in 2026 were 11th-most in a single season in Missouri program history.
• A 2023 graduate of Effingham High School in Effingham, Ill.