NASHVILLE — Todd Helton was talking Rockies baseball Tuesday afternoon.
The club’s iconic first baseman, who’s on track toward election to the National Baseball Hall of Fame when votes are announced Jan. 23, remains passionate about the team he suited up for during his entire 17-year career.
Despite the Rockies’ 103-loss season in 2023 — “Really tough,” he said — Helton hopes the young prospects he’s working with will embrace being a part of the Rockies.
“Hopefully, they see the pride that I take in being a Colorado Rockie,” Helton said from the club’s suite at the Gaylord Opryland Hotel & Convention Center. “Take pride in the city and the team. Yeah, it’s not a storied tradition, but we’ve had some really good players come through there. I think they should know the history of the team and take pride and be excited to be a Colorado Rockie.”
Helton, who lives full-time in his native Knoxville, Tenn, is providing his input during the winter meetings.
“I’m reviewing some film and taking a look at some players and talking about possible trades,” the 50-year-old Helton said. “I’m putting in my two cents.”
Helton’s official title is special assistant to general manager Bill Schmidt. The former first baseman works with Rockies minor leaguers, primarily as a part-time hitting coach. He sees potential in players like middle infielder Adael Amador and outfielders Jordan Beck and Benny Montgomery.
He’s also spent time scouting college players.
“The most exciting thing that I have done, the most productive, is watching the amateur players we are thinking about taking (in the draft),” he said. “There are some good hitters, some impact-type bats that are exciting to see.”
Helton said he’s especially impressed with Wake Forest first baseman Nick Kurtz.
Helton, who retired from baseball after the 2013 season, acknowledges that he’s not around players enough to be their hitting coach, per se, but hopes he’s teaching the players some baseball lessons.
“I talk about their approach and what they can expect,” he said. “I talk about adjustments they need to make now so that when they go up a level they will still be able to compete.”
Helton, who hit .316 and had a career on-base percentage of .414, does have a pet peeve about many of today’s young players.
“I can’t stand watching players hit with two strikes now,” he said. “They swing like it’s a 3-0 count. I talk to the Rockies’ (young) players a lot about that. About being able to put a ball in play when a ball needs to be put in play.”
This past season, Helton was impressed by rookie shortstop Ezequiel Tovar and rookie left fielder Nolan Jones.
“I thought Tovar had a really good first year and he’s something to get excited about,” Helton said. “Jones is a young guy who impressed. What surprised me about him was his defense in the outfield. I thought of him as a first base guy.”
Helton has worked quite a bit with first baseman Michael Toglia, the club’s top pick in the 2019 draft out of UCLA. Though Toglia has flashed a good glove at first, he’s struggled at the plate and finished last season at Triple-A Albuquerque. In 76 big-league games over two seasons, the 6-foot-5, 230-pound Toglia is slashing .187/.246./325 with six home runs and a 34.6% strikeout rate.
“He can pick it around the bag,” Helton said. “He’s got to cut down his strikeouts. He’s got to cut down on his swing. He’s a big guy and he’s got a lot of power. He can shorten his swing up and still have a lot of power.”
Helton nearly made it to the Hall of Fame last year, garnering 72.2% of the vote and falling 11 votes short of the 75% required for election. It was his fifth year on the ballot.
History says that Helton will be making his induction speech in July in Cooperstown, N.Y. His support from voting members of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America grew from 52.0% in 2022 to 72.2% last January. Of the 22 players who reached the 70th percentile before their final ballot, only pitcher Curt Schilling failed to reach Cooperstown.
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