Todd Helton elected to National Baseball Hall of Fame, legendary Rockies first baseman
Todd Helton's storied career in a Rockies uniform will live forever in Cooperstown. The first baseman was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame on Tuesday.
"We are elated by Todd's induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame and extend our heartfelt congratulations to Todd and his family," Rockies Owner, Chairman and CEO Dick Monfort said in a statement.
He was elected to the Hall of Fame with 79.7% of the vote, clearing the 75% threshold needed for selection.
Helton joins Adrián Beltré and Joe Mauer in Cooperstown as part of the MLB Hall of Fame Class of 2023. He is only the second Rockies player to have made it to the Hall of Fame after playing a significant portion of his career in Colorado, (Larry Walker was inducted in 2021).
His candidacy has been gaining steam in recent years. In his first year of eligibility in 2019, he garnered just 16% of the votes needed to be elected. In 2020, that number jumped to 29% and in 2021 and 2022, 44% and then 52% of writers voted to induct Helton.
He spent 17 years in a Rockies uniform. In that time, he hit .316 with 369 home runs and 1406 RBI. Helton was a five-time All-Star and finished second in Rookie of the Year voting in 1998. He won four Silver Sluggers and four Golden Gloves. In 2000, he finished fifth in MVP voting, the highest total in his career.
"We had a front-row seat to the greatest of Todd Helton for all 17 years of his career, and finally the entire sports world can join us in recognizing one of the best first basemen in the history of the game," Monfort said. "Todd is a true Colorado sports icon, and we all look forward to his induction in late July and another Rockies celebration in Cooperstown."
Helton led the Rockies to an appearance in the 2007 World Series and retired after the 2013 season.
In 2015 Helton spoke with CBS News Colorado during a video shoot about the prospect of becoming a Hall of Famer and how much he loved playing baseball in Denver. See his comments below: