The Colorado Rockies spent Saturday afternoon saluting one of the biggest names in franchise history, unveiling a statue of Todd Helton before their game against Seattle.
The bronze piece captures Helton with his hands raised after the Rockies clinched their first National League pennant in 2007, a moment that still stands as one of the defining images in team history.
It also continued a run of honors that began last month, when Larry Walker got his own statue. The Rockies announced both statues during Rockies Fest as a nod to two of the organization’s all-time greats.
Helton’s place in Rockies lore is secure. A University of Tennessee football and baseball standout, he was Colorado’s first-round pick in 1995 and reached the majors two years later. He spent all 17 of his big league seasons with the Rockies, becoming one of the rare franchise pillars who never wore another uniform.
He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2023, in his fifth year on the ballot, and now works as a special assistant to the general manager.
The numbers tell the story of how good he was. Helton finished his career with a .316/.414/.539 slash line, 369 home runs and 1,416 RBI.
His peak came in 2000, when he won the National League batting title and came closest to claiming the NL MVP award. That season, he hit .372/.463/.698 with 42 home runs and a major league-leading 147 RBI.
Over the course of his career, Helton made five All-Star teams, won three NL Gold Gloves at first base and picked up four NL Silver Slugger awards at the position.
He also owns several Rockies single-season and career records and ranks in the top 10 in a number of other categories, including single-season home runs. Current catcher Hunter Goodman is trying to join Helton and others in the club of Rockies players who have hit 40 home runs in a season.
Walker, another member of that 40-home run group, received his statue last month. The Canadian slugger is also in the Hall of Fame and hit .334/.426/.618 with 258 home runs and 848 RBI in 10 seasons with Colorado.
For the Rockies, Saturday was a chance to honor a player whose legacy already feels carved into the franchise’s foundation.
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