Todd Helton, baseball player, 369 home runs, 1997-2013

Todd Helton

⭐ Hall of Fame 2024

Born: 8/20/1973 in Knoxville, TN, USA

MLB Debut: 1997-08-02 | Final Game: 2013-09-29

Bats: L | Throws: L | Height: 6'2" | Weight: 220 lbs

Full name: Todd Lynn Helton

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Biography

Todd Helton, born in 1973, was a prominent Major League Baseball first baseman who played his entire career with the Colorado Rockies from 1997 to 2013. Helton's tenure in the league was marked by exceptional offensive prowess, as he accumulated 2,519 hits and 369 home runs over the course of 2,247 games. His impressive career batting average of .316, along with 1,406 RBIs and 37 stolen bases, underscored his versatility and ability to contribute in various aspects of the game. Helton's skill set allowed him to be a consistent offensive force, earning him five All-Star selections and recognition as the TSN Rookie Player of the Year. Helton's success coincided with a transformative era in baseball, as he rose to prominence during the late 1990s and early 2000s, a time characterized by high-scoring games and the elevation of offensive statistics. Playing at Coors Field, known for its hitter-friendly conditions, Helton took full advantage of the environment, but his talent was evident regardless of the venue. He was celebrated not only for his bat but also for his defensive capabilities at first base, which made him a well-rounded player. In recognition of his outstanding career and contributions to the sport, Helton was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2024, solidifying his legacy as one of the greatest players in Rockies history and a significant figure in MLB.

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
2247 7962 1401 2519 592 37 369 1406 37 1335 1175 0.316 0.414 0.539 0.953 48514.8

Career AVG .316 vs. league average .263 across their career seasons — +20.1% above league average.

Career OBP .414 vs. league average .332 across their career seasons — +24.7% above league average.

Career SLG .539 vs. league average .419 across their career seasons — +28.8% above league average.

Career OPS 0.953 vs. league average 0.751 across their career seasons — +27.0% above league average.

Season-by-Season Batting

Year Team Lg G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG Lg AVG Lg OBP Lg SLG Lg OPS PIV
1997 COL NL 35 93 13 26 2 1 5 11 0 8 11 0.280 .266 (+5%) .336 (avg) .419 (+15%) .756 (+9%) 131.6
1998 COL NL 152 530 78 167 37 1 25 97 3 53 54 0.315 .266 (+18%) .335 (+14%) .420 (+26%) .755 (+21%) 2313.3
1999 COL NL 159 578 114 185 39 5 35 113 7 68 77 0.320 .271 (+18%) .344 (+15%) .433 (+35%) .778 (+26%) 3301.1
2000 COL NL 160 580 138 216 59 2 42 147 5 103 61 0.372 .270 (+38%) .344 (+34%) .437 (+60%) .782 (+49%) 6463.9
2001 COL NL 159 587 132 197 54 2 49 146 7 98 104 0.336 .263 (+27%) .332 (+30%) .426 (+61%) .758 (+47%) 6121.4
2002 COL NL 156 553 107 182 39 4 30 109 5 99 91 0.329 .261 (+26%) .331 (+29%) .416 (+38%) .747 (+34%) 4325.6
2003 COL NL 160 583 135 209 49 5 33 117 0 111 72 0.358 .264 (+36%) .332 (+38%) .422 (+49%) .754 (+44%) 5919.2
2004 COL NL 154 547 115 190 49 2 32 96 3 127 72 0.347 .266 (+31%) .335 (+40%) .427 (+45%) .762 (+43%) 5618.7
2005 COL NL 144 509 92 163 45 2 20 79 3 106 80 0.320 .264 (+21%) .330 (+35%) .418 (+28%) .749 (+31%) 3830.1
2006 COL NL 145 546 94 165 40 5 15 81 3 91 64 0.302 .269 (+12%) .336 (+20%) .431 (+10%) .768 (+15%) 1977.4
2007 COL NL 154 557 86 178 42 2 17 91 0 116 74 0.320 .268 (+19%) .335 (+29%) .422 (+17%) .758 (+22%) 3184.3
2008 COL NL 83 299 39 79 16 0 7 29 0 61 50 0.264 .263 (avg) .333 (+17%) .416 (-7%) .749 (+4%) 484.6
2009 COL NL 151 544 79 177 38 3 15 86 0 89 73 0.325 .262 (+24%) .332 (+25%) .417 (+17%) .750 (+20%) 2622.9
2010 COL NL 118 398 48 102 18 1 8 37 0 67 90 0.256 .257 (avg) .325 (+11%) .402 (-9%) .728 (avg) 210.8
2011 COL NL 124 421 59 127 27 0 14 69 0 59 71 0.302 .255 (+18%) .320 (+20%) .399 (+17%) .719 (+18%) 1635.8
2012 COL NL 69 240 31 57 16 1 7 37 1 39 44 0.237 .254 (-7%) .318 (+7%) .405 (-1%) .724 (+3%) 177.1
2013 COL NL 124 397 41 99 22 1 15 61 0 40 87 0.249 .253 (-2%) .317 (-1%) .396 (+7%) .714 (+3%) 197.2

Postseason Statistics

Playoff Career Batting

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
15 57 11 12 2 1 0 4 8 11 0.211

Playoff Batting by Year

Year Round Team G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
2009 NLDS2 COL 4 16 5 3 0 0 0 2 3 2 0.188
2007 NLCS COL 4 14 3 3 0 0 0 1 2 4 0.214
2007 NLDS2 COL 3 12 1 1 0 1 0 0 1 2 0.083
2007 WS COL 4 15 2 5 2 0 0 1 2 3 0.333

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
1B 2178 2120 18889 1726 79 2028
OF 15 14 16 2 0 0

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1997 COL 1B 8 7 68 10 0 7
1997 COL OF 15 14 16 2 0 0
1998 COL 1B 146 134 1164 146 7 156
1999 COL 1B 156 148 1243 103 9 152
2000 COL 1B 160 156 1326 149 7 143
2001 COL 1B 157 157 1302 120 2 139
2002 COL 1B 156 155 1357 113 7 138
2003 COL 1B 159 159 1418 156 11 149
2004 COL 1B 153 151 1356 144 4 130
2005 COL 1B 144 142 1237 120 5 136
2006 COL 1B 145 145 1367 87 4 156
2007 COL 1B 153 152 1448 95 2 153
2008 COL 1B 81 81 830 57 3 79
2009 COL 1B 149 147 1349 96 3 115
2010 COL 1B 115 105 932 77 8 116
2011 COL 1B 119 113 985 104 3 110
2012 COL 1B 67 64 566 57 2 53
2013 COL 1B 110 104 941 92 2 96

Career Games by Position

Position Games
First Base 2178
Left Field 13
Right Field 2
Designated Hitter 2

Awards & Honors

Year Award Notes
2013 This Year in Baseball Oddity of the Year MLB.com GIBBY
2005 Player of the Week Week of 2005-07-08
2005 Player of the Week Week of 2005-09-24
2004 Gold Glove 1B
2003 Player of the Month April
2003 Silver Slugger 1B
2003 TSN All-Star 1B
2002 Gold Glove 1B
2002 Player of the Month May
2002 Silver Slugger 1B
2002 TSN All-Star 1B
2001 Gold Glove 1B
2001 Silver Slugger 1B
2001 TSN All-Star 1B
2000 Hank Aaron Award 1B
2000 MLB Players Choice Outstanding Player
2000 Player of the Month August
2000 Player of the Month May
2000 Player of the Week Week of 2000-05-13
2000 Player of the Week Week of 2000-07-22
2000 Player of the Week Week of 2000-08-19
2000 Silver Slugger 1B
2000 TSN All-Star 1B
1999 Player of the Week Week of 1999-06-19
1998 TSN Rookie Player of the Year

Featured In Rankings

#15
Top 20 First Basemen in History of MLB Baseball
Ranked 15 of 20
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Salary History

Year Team League Salary
2013 COL NL $6,175,000
2012 COL NL $6,075,000
2011 COL NL $20,275,000
2010 COL NL $17,775,000
2009 COL NL $16,600,000
2008 COL NL $16,600,000
2007 COL NL $16,600,000
2006 COL NL $16,600,000
2005 COL NL $12,600,000
2004 COL NL $11,600,000
2003 COL NL $10,600,000
2002 COL NL $5,000,000
2001 COL NL $4,950,000
2000 COL NL $1,300,000
1999 COL NL $750,000
1998 COL NL $190,000
1997 COL NL $150,000
Total Career Earnings $163,840,000

College History

School Name City State Years Attended
University of Tennessee Knoxville TN 1993, 1994, 1995

Award Voting History

Year Award League Finish Points Won Points Max Votes First
2009 Most Valuable Player NL 13th 28.0 448 0
2004 Most Valuable Player NL 16th 9.0 448 0
2003 Most Valuable Player NL 7th 75.0 448 0
2002 Most Valuable Player NL 19th 3.0 448 0
2001 Most Valuable Player NL 9th 90.0 448 0
2000 Most Valuable Player NL 5th 198.0 448 1
1998 Rookie of the Year NL 2nd 119.0 160 15