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The Arizona Diamondbacks came out of the 2026 MLB Draft with an interesting haul, and their shift in draft strategy is evident in their top 3 picks: catcher Ryder Helfrick, prep project arm Blake Bryant, and shortstop Carson Kerce. Here's what Arizona is getting with each.

Ryder Helfrick (C)

Arizona kicked things off by grabbing Helfrick out of Arkansas, and it's a landmark pick, as it’s the highest the D-backs have ever taken a catcher in franchise history. There was a very good reason for them to take this pick, as he is fantastic on both sides of the ball.

Across three years in Fayetteville, Helfrick hit .274 with 36 home runs, 99 RBI, a .542 slugging percentage, and a .402 OBP over 154 games. This past junior season, he fully broke out, slashing .283/.417/.562 with a career-high 18 homers, and he walked (19.1%) about as much as he struck out (also 19.1%, down from 22.5% the year before). He’s shown real improvement in his whiff data and has vastly improved since his 26.9% K% rate as a freshman. He still slams the ball like few can, posting ridiculous metrics in categories such as xwOBA, average exit velocity, and barrel percentage, all of which are aided by his pull-happy profile. This is part of why he was a semifinalist for the Golden Spikes Award and such a highly-touted prospect entering the 2026 MLB Draft.

Almost every publication and scout seems to agree that Helfrick is the best defensive catcher in this draft class. He's got a 70-grade glove behind the plate, as he frames on par with Patrick Bailey, and calls his own pitches, which is rare for a college catcher. Scouting director Ian Rebhan said Helfrick "led the entire country in all the objective defensive metrics" and can already manage a pitching staff like a pro. Scouts believe he does have a very strong arm and quality pop times, but he consistently posted sub-25% caught-stealing rates throughout his college career. I’ll side with the scouts here, but it’s worth noting.

Baseball America had him going in the top 7-10 picks overall, and MLB Pipeline ranked him the No. 11 prospect in the class, so getting him at 15 was viewed as a bit of a steal. I love the value of this pick, especially with how high-floor it is. The worst case is a Mike Zunino type, with the best case being Shea Langeliers with Patrick Bailey defense!

Blake Bryant (RHP)

With their second first-round-caliber pick, Arizona went the opposite direction and took a high school arm, something they haven't done this early since Blake Walston in 2019. Bryant is a massive 6-foot-6 right-hander with a fastball that sits 91-95 and touches 96. His slider is a real weapon in the 79-82 range with tight, high spin (2600+ rpm), and he mixes in a curveball and changeup too. He was also reportedly an excellent high school basketball player, which explains the athleticism scouts keep raving about. That’s something notable beyond this pick for the Diamondbacks: athleticism. It’s a word used to describe nearly all of their picks in this class. I feel it’s worth noting that he had supposed high scores in biomechanics from the MLB Draft Combine. This is a pure projection pick. Rebhan called it "premium athleticism, premium strikes, wow stuff, velocity," and described Bryant as an elite athlete with "a ton of development runway, a ton of upside." He was consistently ranked among the top 75 draft prospects by respected publications and was committed to Clemson before signing with Arizona. The bet here is that a lanky, 6’6”, 180 lbs frame becomes a front-of-the-rotation arm with pro-level strength and conditioning. It's a bet that’ll take years to be realized truly, but the ceiling might be the highest of anyone Arizona drafted this year (outside of one name, but I’ll get back to that later). 

Carson Kerce 

Arizona closed out its trio of headliner picks by staying in the college ranks and grabbing a shortstop who was one of the most consistent, productive hitters in the country in 2026. Kerce slashed .384/.473/.679 for Georgia Tech, with 91 hits, a program-record 29 doubles, 11 homers, and 51 RBI. He struck out in just 13.3% of his plate appearances against a 12.2% walk rate, and posted a 90% in-zone contact rate. His 4.5 WAR ranked third in the country among shortstops, and he earned First Team All-ACC honors.

Kerce could not miss this season. He showed himself off as a contact-over-power hitter with a short, direct swing that sprays hard line drives to all fields. He posted a 60% hard-hit rate in 2026, which is elite. He's not going to wow anyone with raw power through his max EVs, but the pure ability to make contact and the barrel feel carry the profile. He has the exit velocities to tap into more pop, but it will require a decrease in the amount of ground balls and opposite-field contact he makes. He’s an above-average runner, though not a true base-stealing threat, and has experience all over the infield. He’ll look to stick at shortstop in the Diamondbacks organization, though. George Lund, current lead of Locked On Diamondbacks, notes just how much of a gamer he is out on the field. He does not give up on anything and plays at 110% all of the time. This felt like good value for a 53rd overall pick. The real question is whether his hands and actions are good enough to stick at shortstop long-term. He graded out a bit below average defensively there in 2026, and he’s shown quality fielding at 3B in the past. No matter what, his speed, instincts, and all-fields bat make him a potential everyday 2B/3B if short doesn't work out. Rebhan was fired up about the pick, saying Kerce "checks every box. 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." It’s hard to argue with the bat that he’ll provide to the organization.

There is one other player I’d like to note, one who looked absolutely dominant in the high school ranks…

Cody Boshell, 1B

Arizona also snagged a nice late buy-in in the form of Cody Boshell, a Tennessee. He was ranked outside the top 125 by publications, so landing him in the 11th round would be ridiculous value if the D-backs can pry him away from his Vols commitment. Boshell is technically a two-way player who can also pitch, but Arizona drafted him strictly as a first baseman, and his offensive track record shows that: he hit .318 with 17 home runs and 72 RBI over four years at Bishop Snyder. He’s an extreme threat at the plate, able to hit the ball out to all fields with a compact swing. He does not whiff, nor chase. He stands in the box menacingly, waiting for you to dare hang a pitch over the plate. He’s the kind of raw bat that gets scouts excited about. Arizona will look to buy out a strong college commitment, bet on the raw power translating with professional coaching and development, and see what the bat turns into a few years down the road.

Some Closing Thoughts

These four picks encapsulate this Diamondbacks draft class. It's a solid blend of safety, high-quality metrics, and upside. Time will tell how these guys develop; I do feel that Arizona walked away with three quality prospects who should slot into their Top 15 relatively comfortably. 

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