Two Bay Area natives picked in first round of MLB draft

Two Bay Area players were taken in the first round of the MLB draft on Saturday, with former Clayton Valley Charter High School catcher Ryder Helfrick selected 15th overall by the Arizona Diamondbacks and recent De La Salle graduate Tyler Spangler, a shortstop, going 36th to the Philadelphia Phillies.

The 21-year-old Helfrick, a Discovery Bay native, just completed his junior season with the Arkansas Razorbacks, in which he started all 62 games and slashed .283/.417/.562 with 18 home runs and 53 RBI. He was also named a third-team All-American by Baseball America and was a SEC All-Defensive Team selection.

Helfrick, listed at 6-foot-1 and 210 pounds, was considered among the best high school catchers available for the 2023 draft, but elected to attend Arkansas after his senior season at Clayton Valley, in which he hit .510 (47 for 92) with 11 extra-base hits, five homers, and 24 RBI.

He called pitches for the Ugly Eagles’ pitching staff and did the same at Arkansas, and is now the highest-drafted catcher in Razorbacks program history.

Spangler, a shortstop who has committed to Stanford, missed his entire senior season at De La Salle this spring due to a back injury, but recently attended the MLB draft combine in Arizona. He began his senior year as a potential top 10 prospect but dropped to 32nd in Baseball America’s latest rankings.

During his junior season at De La Salle, the 6-3, 195-pound Spangler hit .430 with an on-base percentage of .540 and an OPS of 1.470. He finished the year with 10 home runs and 40 RBIs.

In its assessment, MLB Pipeline wrote Spangler “is more polish than flash with a simple, solid approach at the plate, finding the barrel consistently. While he can be susceptible at times for breaking stuff down, he has excellent zone awareness and shows a willingness to use the middle of the field or go the other way.

“He can get to his pull side power at times, and more thump should come as he fills out his frame, and if he starts committing to getting the ball in the air more.”

Former Archbishop Mitty standout Jarren Advincula was drafted in the second round, 45th overall, by the Los Angeles Angels. Advincula was a second baseman at Georgia Tech this past season, after two seasons at Cal, where he hit .334.