With the No. 15 pick in the 2026 MLB Draft, the D-backs selected right-handed-hitting catcher Ryder Helfrick out of the University of Arkansas. A strong defensive catcher with power at the plate, Helfrick emerged as a top Draft prospect in the summer of 2024, when he tied for the Cape Cod League lead with 11 homers and then slugged .616 with 15 homers over 190 at-bats for the Razorbacks the next season.
Coming out of high school, Helfrick was ranked among the top prep catchers in the 2023 Draft class, but he had an up-and-down senior season and decided to go to Arkansas.
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Day 1: Saturday, July 11 (Rounds 1-4)
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Day 2: Sunday, July 12 (Rounds 5-20)
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As a sophomore with the Razorbacks, Helfrick was named to the ABCA/Rawlings South All-Region Team (First Team), as well as the NCAA Fayetteville Regional All-Tournament Team. He was also the 2025 NCAA Fayetteville Regional Tournament MVP after posting a .545/.643/1.364 slash line with three home runs.
During that tournament, Helfrick caught the third no-hitter in College World Series history and first since 1960, Gage Wood’s 19-strikeout gem against Murray State on June 16, 2025.
The 6-foot-1, 210-pound Helfrick, ranked by MLB Pipeline as the No. 11 prospect in this year’s Draft class, is advanced as a defensive backstop, calling pitches and handling a pitching staff with aplomb. He has a strong arm and is a solid receiver, framer and blocker. His throwing will get better if he improves on his transfer from glove to hand, as well as his accuracy.
Although he has a tendency to chase pitches out of the zone when at the plate, with Helfrick’s prowess behind the plate, he profiles as a regular backstop at the Major League level.