Why Arkansas catcher Ryder Helfrick keeps ending up on All-American lists

Another preseason All-American honor earned the old-fashioned way with steady defense, loud contact, and earning trust behind the plate.

Arkansas catcher Ryder Helfrick during intrasquad scrimmages | Nilsen Roman -Hogs on SI Images

Catchers don’t usually get preseason shine. Quarterbacks do. Sluggers do. Closers sometimes do.

Catchers mostly get sore knees, foul tips off places they didn’t know could hurt, and a quiet nod from their pitching coach after a good night’s work.

So when Arkansas catcher Ryder Helfrick shows up as a first-team preseason All-American on D1Baseball’s 2026 list, it tells you something. It tells you he didn’t sneak up on anyone.

He showed up, stayed there, and made enough noise that people who make lists had to notice.

Helfrick didn’t build this reputation with one hot weekend. He did it the slow, dependable way. Last season, he hit .305 with a .420 on-base percentage and a .616 slugging percentage.

That’s not a typo. That’s a catcher who understands patience and knows when to unload. He finished with 15 home runs and 38 RBIs, numbers that play anywhere, especially in the SEC.

27 Days ‘till Opening Day.

Ryder Helfrick returns for the Hawgs after hitting .305 with 15 home runs and 38 RBI a season ago.

Can Helfrick help Arkansas finally break through and win their first National Title in program history this season? pic.twitter.com/ufTiEWrlw8

— SEC Unfiltered (@SECUnfiltered) January 17, 2026

And here’s the part folks tend to overlook. He did all of that while doing the actual catcher stuff. You know, squatting for nine innings, calling games, blocking pitches in the dirt, and making sure pitchers don’t lose their minds when things get sideways.

Defensively, Helfrick was about as steady as they come. Three errors in 629 chances. That’s a .995 fielding percentage, which in catcher terms translates to, “nothing exploded.”

He also threw out 10 runners trying to steal, which doesn’t make highlight shows but does discourage coaches from rolling the dice.

SEC play is where résumés either hold up or fall apart. Helfrick leaned in. Against conference pitching, he hit .337 with seven home runs and 21 RBIs. Same swing. Same approach. No panic.

That’s why this preseason honor didn’t surprise anyone who watched Arkansas last year. Helfrick even found himself on the midseason watch list for the Buster Posey National Collegiate Catcher of the Year Award, which is college baseball’s polite way of saying, “Yeah, we see you.”

Catcher Ryder Helfrick rounds third in the third inning in a regional game against Creighton. The Razorbacks won 12-1 to advance to the final | Nilsen Roman-Hogs on SI Images

The Razorbacks, as a program, aren’t new to this kind of recognition. Arkansas just came off a 50-win season with another postseason run, and coach Dave Van Horn brings back a roster that knows what it’s doing.

This particular honor stands out because catchers don’t usually get penciled in unless they’ve earned it in pen.

Helfrick wasn’t loud about it. He didn’t need to be. His bat spoke when it had to. His glove stayed ready when it mattered. And pitchers trusted him enough to keep throwing what he called.

There were other preseason mentions floating around the program. Pitcher Gabe Gaeckle and outfielder Maika Niu showed up on Perfect Game teams. That’s fine company.

But Helfrick landing on D1Baseball’s first team puts him squarely in the “you’re running the show now” category.

Preseason lists don’t win games. Everyone knows that. They sit on refrigerators and get forgotten by March. But they do set expectations, and Helfrick’s is clear. Be steady. Be reliable. Do it again.

As Arkansas opens the 2026 season away from Baum-Walker, Helfrick will take his spot behind the plate like he always does. Mask on. Signs down. Game moving at his pace.

That’s usually how catchers want it anyway.