How good would Todd Helton be...

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  • dieselboy
    --------------
    • Dec 2002
    • 18040

    #1

    How good would Todd Helton be...

    If he played outside of Colorado?

    It was suggested on SportsCenter today that the Rockies ship Helton off because they are in last place with them so there is no where to go but up.

    Now here is the question... How good would he be if he were to be traded?

    For his career, he is a .340 hitter, but on the road, he hits .294. He has 155 HRs at Coors, and only 96 HRs on the road. He has 516 RBIs at Coors, 324 on the road.

    If he were to play somewhere else, what kind of a hitter would he be? My guess would be, somewhere on the lines of....

    .300 AVG, .400 OBP, 20-25 HRs, 80-90 RBIs, on a season average.

    But numbers like that, doesn't that just put him on the lines of, Sean Casey? Phil Nevin? Erubiel Durazo? Lyle Overbay? Mike Lowell? Kevin Millar?

    That puts him just a little above the middle of the pack for first basemen, and he will soon be turning 32 years old.... How much trade value does he have?
  • SPTO
    binging
    • Feb 2003
    • 68046

    #2
    Re: How good would Todd Helton be...

    I watched a Rockies spring training game and the announcers were talking about how they want to play more of an 80s brand of baseball with a lot of stealing and use of speed. If the Rox really want to do that they should trade Helton to a team ASAP before age catches up with him. I agree with your assessment on his numbers away from Coors. He would be a nice 1B for a team to have but he would be more of a complimentary guy.
    Member of the Official OS Bills Backers Club

    "Baseball is the most important thing that doesn't matter at all" - Robert B. Parker

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    • DGetz
      Pro
      • Mar 2004
      • 636

      #3
      Re: How good would Todd Helton be...

      Interesting post. Some other things to consider:

      How well would Helton do in a good line-up? The Rockies hasn't been too great to speak of the last couple years; his intentional walks numbers over the last three years: 21, 21, 19.

      Over the last three seasons Helton has hit .310 on the road; slugged .517 and has 65 doubles and 33 home runs in 832 at-bats. Hitting .310 on the road is impressive no matter where you play

      Considering that almost everyone does better at home because of familiarity, I'd say Helton could probobly hit .325-.335 at home in any other park; higher if he were in a good line-up.

      So I guess my final prediction is that he would be .325-.330 with about 35 doubles and 30-35 homeruns in a good line-up.

      Dude is also a good fielder and has hit .346 over the last 3 years against lefties, so I would think his trade value is pretty high
      "Darth Vader doesn't cry, Peter."
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      • dieselboy
        --------------
        • Dec 2002
        • 18040

        #4
        Re: How good would Todd Helton be...

        Originally posted by DGetz
        Interesting post. Some other things to consider:

        How well would Helton do in a good line-up? The Rockies hasn't been too great to speak of the last couple years; his intentional walks numbers over the last three years: 21, 21, 19.

        Over the last three seasons Helton has hit .310 on the road; slugged .517 and has 65 doubles and 33 home runs in 832 at-bats. Hitting .310 on the road is impressive no matter where you play

        Considering that almost everyone does better at home because of familiarity, I'd say Helton could probobly hit .325-.335 at home in any other park; higher if he were in a good line-up.

        So I guess my final prediction is that he would be .325-.330 with about 35 doubles and 30-35 homeruns in a good line-up.

        Dude is also a good fielder and has hit .346 over the last 3 years against lefties, so I would think his trade value is pretty high
        In a good lineup? Ya, I guess that does make sense....but he did have good lineups during his really good seasons, just recently the players around him have got real bad.

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        • Tha Dynasty
          BARRY! BARRY! BARRY!
          • Aug 2004
          • 1488

          #5
          Re: How good would Todd Helton be...

          Yeah...his stats are inflated because he plays at Coors but as you mention he bats a .294 on the road which is still not bad. I think if he was shipped to somewhere where he has a good shot at a title he would even play better. And like most players he probably doesnt play as well traveling.

          Comment

          • sdrotar
            OS Managing Ed., 2002-07
            • Jul 2002
            • 1055

            #6
            Re: How good would Todd Helton be...

            Originally posted by Metal Ninja
            Yeah...his stats are inflated because he plays at Coors but as you mention he bats a .294 on the road which is still not bad. I think if he was shipped to somewhere where he has a good shot at a title he would even play better. And like most players he probably doesnt play as well traveling.
            There are also reams of statistical evidence that show that Rockies' hitters have the most difficult adjustments to make on the road in baseball.
            Due to the flattening effect of pitches in Coors Field, pitches look they're on strings on the road to Rockies' players.
            Yet Helton's road numbers are still *********, even considering these facts. He's played on poor teams with no help for nearly all his career, and because if that, he's been pitched around as much as any MLB player not named Barry Bonds.

            He's a legitimate .330+ hitter who knocks in 110+ per year. He has plus power, and a remarkable batting eye, despite seeing few quality pitches. On top of that, he's a multiple-time Gold Glove award winner, extremely durable and a consummate professional who's kept his nose squeaky clean throughout his sterling career.

            There's not a team in the league that wouldn't prefer to have Helton starting at first base then their existing starter. Not one. And that includes the Cardinals - who could move Pujols back to OF, where he's no less servicable with the glove than he is at 1B.

            Coors Field actually penalizes Helton by it's perception, and as hard as it is to believe, he's truly one of the more underrated players in baseball. Ask any MLB GM and they'll tell you the same thing.
            Last edited by sdrotar; 04-17-2005, 04:31 PM.
            Shawn Drotar
            Former Managing Editor, OperationSports.com (2002-07)

            Comment

            • TheMatrix31
              RF
              • Jul 2002
              • 52918

              #7
              Re: How good would Todd Helton be...

              It's unfortunate we dont hear much about Todd Helton anymore, the guy is truly a STUD.

              Maybe he can go play QB for the 49ers or something.

              Comment

              • VanCitySportsGuy
                NYG_Meth
                • Feb 2003
                • 9351

                #8
                Re: How good would Todd Helton be...

                The chances of Todd Helton being dealt are extremely slim.

                Very few teams are going to want to touch his salary.

                He's set to make 16.6 mil a season in 06-10. His salary jumps to 19.1 mil in 2011. In 2012 there's a club option for 23 million with a buyout of 4.6 ml.

                He's already 31 years old and is close to reaching an age where a drop off in performance is the norm.

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