Diamondbacks take power-hitting catcher with top pick in draft

· Yahoo Sports

LOS ANGELES — The Diamondbacks used their top pick in baseball’s draft on Ryder Helfrick, a power-hitting catcher out of Arkansas whom they selected with the No. 15 overall pick on Saturday, July 11.

Helfrick, 21, hit .283 with a .979 OPS and 18 homers this season for Arkansas.

Visit syntagm.co.za for more information.

He is a somewhat uncharacteristic selection for the Diamondbacks. Helfrick has big raw power but comes with some swing-and-miss concerns. He is also not undersized, like many of the Diamondbacks’ top picks have been in recent years. He is listed at 6 feet 1, 210 pounds.

It is a typical selection in the sense that he is considered a strong defender at an up-the-middle position. He is regarded as one of the better, if not the best, defensive catcher in the draft.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Diamondbacks take power-hitting catcher with top pick in draft

Read full story at source