Razorbacks catcher makes program history in MLB Draft first round

Arkansas has built a reputation for sending arms to the pros early but Saturday the Razorbacks added a new twist to that trend.

A catcher joined the club instead.

The Arizona Diamondbacks used the 15th overall pick to select Ryder Helfrick marking the first time in school history a Razorback backstop came off the board in round one.

Helfrick’s selection also stretches the Hogs’ streak of producing first-round MLB Draft picks to three consecutive years.

That kind of run doesn’t happen by accident and it points to a program that keeps churning out pro-ready talent behind the plate and on the mound alike.

Born and raised in Discovery Bay California Helfrick spent his college years turning himself into one of the most complete defensive catchers in the sport.

He wasn’t the lone catcher to hear his name called early Saturday.

Georgia Tech’s Vann Lackey went third overall to the Minnesota Twins before Arizona scooped up Helfrick as the second backstop off the board.

Defense set Helfrick apart from the field

Helfrick’s glove did as much talking as his bat this spring. He led every catcher in the country in defensive runs saved at 27.00 framing runs saved at 24.49 and defensive wins above replacement at 1.99.

At the plate he wasn’t shy either. Arkansas’ catcher slashed .283/.417/.562 with 18 home runs and 53 RBI across 62 games this past season.

He drew 55 walks which matched his strikeout total exactly and that mark ranks fourth on the program’s single-season list.

Across his full career in Fayetteville Helfrick finished with 36 home runs and 99 RBI while starting behind the plate in nearly every game he played.

Awards and what signing bonus could look like

Baseball America tabbed Helfrick a Third Team All-American this season.

He also stood as a finalist for the Golden Spikes Award and the Gold Glove Award recognizing him among the sport’s elite regardless of position.

The slot value tied to the 15th overall pick sits at $5,241,000 though recent signing trends for college catchers suggest Helfrick could ink a deal for slightly less than that number.

Record books will need some updating no matter how you slice it.

Depending on which mark you reference either a 1988 selection or a 2011 second-round pick stood as the previous high point for an Arkansas catcher taken in the draft.

Helfrick now tops both.

Saturday’s selection also made Helfrick the first Arkansas player picked in this year’s draft class.

The first four rounds wrapped up Saturday and rounds five through 20 continue Sunday.

For a program that already boasted one of the deeper pro pipelines in college baseball Helfrick’s pick adds a defensive-minded catcher to that growing list of alumni now playing for pay.

Key takeaways

• Arizona selected Arkansas catcher Ryder Helfrick 15th overall making him the first Razorback backstop ever picked in round one
• Helfrick led the nation in defensive runs saved framing runs saved and defensive wins above replacement
• His junior season included a .283/.417/.562 slash line with 18 home runs and 53 RBI over 62 games