Todd Helton’s Hall of Fame gains another boost for Colorado Rockies

Larry Walker opened the door for future deserving members of the Colorado Rockies to rightfully be enshrined in the Baseball Hall of Fame. Now it appears that his former teammate, Todd Helton, is nearing the necessary votes to join him among the game’s immortals in Cooperstown.

Todd Helton’s gains in Baseball Hall of Fame voting continue to show any Coors Field stigma can be overcome by Colorado Rockies

Walker became the first-ever member of the Colorado Rockies to earn his place in Cooperstown in 2020. It was Walker’s 10th and final time to be able to earn votes from members of the BBWAA and, after years of being overlooked primarily because of his time playing at Coors Field, the 17-year MLB veteran was finally given his due.

That nod from BBWAA voters that Walker was indeed worthy of the Hall of Fame, despite any stigma there might be in the eyes of some because of his years playing at altitude.

It was a pivotal moment for Helton and any future Rockies who may be considered for Cooperstown. When Walker earned his place in the Hall of Fame in 2020, Helton was in his second year on the BBWAA ballot. He earned votes on 29.2 percent of the ballots that season, up from 16.5 the year before.

That number has continued to climb steadily for Helton since and, this year, thanks to a booming number of gained votes, there is a real possibility that he could become the second bust in Cooperstown wearing a Rockies hat.

For those who still believe that Coors Field made Helton into the player that he is, consider these figures from this article by MLB.com’s Manny Randhawa. By the way, the entire article from Randhawa is well worth your time.

Stripping out his Coors Field numbers entirely, Helton was a great hitter. In 4,612 road plate appearances, the slugging first baseman hit .287/.386/.469 with 142 home runs. His .855 OPS away from his home ballpark is higher than the road OPS of Hall of Famers Dave Winfield (.841), Eddie Murray (.838), Rickey Henderson (.836), Tony Gwynn (.835), Al Kaline (.827) and George Brett (.826), among others.

Walker was a great baseball player who spent 10 of his 17 seasons as a member of the Rockies. Helton, however, is a different animal, logging all 17 of his MLB campaigns in Denver. So as much as Walker making it into the Hall of Fame was a big moment for the Rockies franchise, Helton’s will be perhaps even bigger. It will show that players who performed both at Coors Field and away from it are just as worthy for inclusion as those who called Fenway Park, Yankee Stadium, and Dodger Stadium home.

In recent seasons, players such as Nolan Arenado (now with St. Louis) and DJ LeMahieu (now in the Bronx with the Yankees) have shown their talents can translate into any stadium after years of playing in Denver. Walker and Helton entering the Hall of Fame will have ripple effects for those who spent time with the Rockies for years to come, with Arenado’s path to the Hall of Fame become more likely every season.

Helton may fall just short of Cooperstown in this voting cycle, but every vote gained is another acknowledgment from voters around the country that Hall of Famers can indeed perform anywhere, including at a mile high.