With Jacob Wilson locked up and Leo De Vries already in the system, the A's don't need another shortstop — here's how they should pivot
The MLB Draft is under a week away, beginning on Saturday, July 11, and the Athletics have the No. 8 overall pick in this year's draft. They have nailed their recent first-round selections, taking Jacob Wilson with the 6th overall pick in 2023, Nick Kurtz with the 4th pick in 2024, and then left-hander Jamie Arnold with the 11th pick in 2025.
Max Muncy and Tyler Soderstrom have also been recent first-round picks who are now with the club in their early 20s.
This year, the A's have been mocked to pick a few different players. Most recently, both Baseball America and ESPN had the A's taking switch-hitting shortstop Tyler Bell out of Kentucky. He suffered a shoulder injury early in the season, but ended up hitting .343 with a .510 OBP and a 1.119 OPS in 41 games this past season. He also added 9 home runs and 10 stolen bases.
In the MLB Draft, it's uncommon to draft for need — and shortstops are some of the best athletes you'll find because if they can play at short, they can stick pretty much anywhere on the diamond.
That said, the A's have Jacob Wilson signed to an extension that keeps him under team control through at least 2032 with an option for 2033. They also acquired the No. 2 prospect in MLB by trading Mason Miller to the San Diego Padres at last year's Trade Deadline, and Leo De Vries is also a natural shortstop.
Adding another one to the ever-growing list of shortstops isn't a bad idea, but the A's may have an opportunity here to land a player at a position they currently have no backup plan for — catcher.
The Player the A's Should Pick
Another player who has been attached to the A's quite a bit throughout draft season has been catcher Ryder Helfrick out of Arkansas. He's played over 60 games in each of the past two seasons, so he's a workhorse behind the dish, and he also clubbed 18 homers this past season.
In 2026, he batted .283 with a .417 OBP, those 18 homers, 53 RBI and an identical 19.1% walk and strikeout rate after accruing 55 of each on the year.
Helfrick also went to Clayton Valley in Concord in the East Bay and was born in Livermore. There is a chance he, like Henry Bolte, grew up an A's fan. Growing up in the East Bay could also complicate things, given the A's departure from Oakland.
On top of the numbers and Helfrick being ranked right around where the A's are picking, they could also use a top-rated catcher in the system just in case they aren't able to sign Shea Langeliers to an extension — a feat that just got more expensive after his selection to the All-Star Game.
With Helfrick in the system, the A's would at least have a backup option. He would also provide the team a reason to not go beyond a contract — namely in length — that they're comfortable with in extension talks with Langeliers. Catchers tend to age quickly due to the demands of the position, and perhaps this pick would allow the team to go in a different direction.
That said, Langeliers is only under team control through 2028, which is basically two full pro seasons for Helfrick before the A's would need him to be ready. That would be a lot of pressure to put on him right out of the gate, knowing that he'd be under a time crunch to not only replace Langeliers, but also do it in Las Vegas.
He wouldn't be afforded anonymity — he'd be a main attraction.
