Michael James Helman...wife’s name is Allie...has one son and one daughter...is a 2015 graduate of Pius X Catholic (Neb.) High School, where he played baseball and basketball... attended Hutchinson (Kan.) Community College and Texas A&M University...was the National Junior Collegiate Athletic Assoc. Player of the Year in 2017, posting an NJCAA-best .487 BA and 103 R...signed by Twins scout Greg Runser.
2025
Provided an offensive spark during the stretch run for Texas, his fourth organization of the year…hit .232/.290/.455/.745 (23-for-99) with five home runs, one triple, five doubles, 20 RBI, four stolen bases and 18 runs in 38 games/29 starts across three stints with the Rangers: 6/27-7/16, 7/21-26, 8/22-end of season…after being traded from Minnesota to St. Louis for cash considerations on 2/6, claimed off waivers by Pittsburgh on 5/14 and claimed off waivers by Texas on 5/19, the utilityman produced a .757 OPS with five homers and 21 RBI for Round Rock (AAA) from 5/20-6/26 to earn a promotion to Texas on 6/27…made his Rangers debut as a pinch runner that night vs. SEA, going 0-for- 4 during his first Major League stint of 2025…recalled by TEX on 7/21 and blasted his first MLB home run the same day, a three-run shot off Jacob Lopez that ignited a 7-2 Rangers victory…called up from Round Rock for a third time on 8/22 and remained in the Majors for the balance of the year, owning a .742 OPS with four HR, one 3B, five 2B, 16 RBI, three SB and 14 R in 30 G/24 GS during that span…Rangers went 14-3 in his first 17 games back from recall (8/23-9/13), a stretch in which he batted .294 (15-for-51) with a .972 OPS…hit two HR in a three-game span, 8/26 vs. LAA and 8/29 at ATH…HR in back-to-back games 9/8-9 vs. MIL…took Jose Quintana deep for his first career slam 9/8 vs. MIL (TEX’s only grand slam of 2025), part of a career-high five RBI performance in which he accounted for all five runs in 5-0 TEX win (see chart at top right)…went 4-for-33 (.121) in last 11 games of year from 9/16-end of season (TEX 2-9), slipping season BA from .288 to .232…still led the club with 16 RBI from 8/26 through the end of the campaign and matched Jake Burger for the team lead in HR (four) during that span…mostly manned centerfield (35 G/29 GS) while also appearing in one game at shortstop with TEX…had reverse splits, batting .283 (15-for-53) vs. RHP and .174 (8-for-46) vs. LHP…hit .231 with a .700 OPS in 71 AAA contests, including 53 games with Round Rock and 18 games with Memphis (STL).
2024
Was a non-roster invite to Twins Major League Spring Training, but missed the entire schedule on the injured list with a left hamstring strain...Began the season on the St. Paul (AAA) roster and was the starting shortstop leading off on Opening Day...Has his contract selected by Minnesota on Sept. 1 when OF Manny Margot was placed on the injured list...Made MLB debut two days later at Tropicana Field (9/3) and was the starting right fielder...Collected first Major League hit with a fifth inning lead-off infield single off Jeffrey Springs...Appeared in nine games total, but only started his debut...Played at third base and all three outfield positions, as well as making pinch-hit and pinch-run appearances, over his nine Major League games...Had two stints on the Minor League seven-day injured list, both with a left hamstring strain (4/13-27 - 14 games and 6/17- 8/10 - 43 games)...Appeared at six different positions during the season in St. Paul (31 - SS; 19 CF; 12 - 3B; 4 - LF; 3 - 2B; 1 RF)...Homered in three straight games (5/16-18) the longest home run streak of his professional career...Smacked his sixth career multi-home run game on June 13 at Louisville...Had a positive reverse split batting .301 (58-193, 12 HR) off right-handers and .217 (20-92, 2 HR) off left-handers.
2023
Named 26th best prospect in Twins organization to start 2023 by Baseball America...Was an invite to Twins Spring Training, the first of career but was limited during exhibition season battling left hamstring strain...Began season on Triple-A St. Paul’s seven-day injured list with a left hamstring strain...Played in five games for Low-A Fort Myers on rehab assignment from April 19-23 and reinstated April 24...Made Triple-A debut on April 25 at Rochester, hitting second career grand slam and recording fifth professional multi-homer game with Minor League career-high six RBI...Hit .359 (23-for-64) with a .468 on-base percentage, a .703 slugging percentage and a 1.171 OPS in 17 games between Fort Myers and St. Paul before landing on injured list...Reached safely in 16 of those 17, including 15-straight from April 20-May 11...Placed on seven-day IL on May 12 with dislocated left shoulder (subluxation)...Transferred to 60-day IL on June 21...Played in six games for Double-A Wichita on rehab assignment and reinstated from IL on Sept. 3...A Made return in September and finished season playing in 15 games for Saints from Sept. 5-24, hitting .270 (17-for-63) with 12 RBI, 12 runs scored and a .721 OPS...Hit third professional grand slam and second of season on Sept. 22 vs. Toledo...Hit .313 (10-for-32) vs. left-handed pitching and .299 (35-for-117) vs. right-handed pitching...Defensively at both levels combined during season played 10 games (all starts) at shortstop, six games (five starts) at third base, five games (all starts) in left field and four games (all starts) in center field...Played in 15 games for Licey in Dominican Winter League, following the season, where one of his hitting coaches was Twins’ Minor League coordinator of instruction Edgar Varela.
2022
Began season with Double-A Wichita...Hit safely in season-long 11-straight games for Wind Surge from May 1-20....A Promoted to Triple-A St. Paul on May 31...was slashing .278/.367/.472 for Wind Surge at time of promotion and ranked ninth in the Texas League in runs scored (34)....Tied a career high with three walks July 3 vs. Omaha....Stole 13th base with Saints on July 9, breaking a St. Paul franchise record, passing Royce Lewis’ previous record of 12 in 2022....Recorded a career-high five hits (five PA), career-high-tying two home runs and four runs, finishing a triple shy of the cycle Aug. 2 at Omaha...Stole a Triple-A season-high-tying and franchise record four bases Aug. 27 at Iowa....Combined to hit .258 (132-for-512) with 23 doubles, three triples, 29 home runs, 60 RBI, 101 runs scored and 40 stolen bases in 135 games between both levels....Ranked tied for eighth in the International League in stolen bases (30), despite just 96 games played for Saints....Led all Twins Minor Leaguers in games (135), runs scored (101), second in hits (132), third in stolen bases (40) and fifth in home runs (20)....Named 28th-best prospect in Twins organization by MLB.com
2021
Named Twins minor league Player of the Week on Aug. 1, after hitting .423 (11-for-26) with one double, one triple, two home runs, three RBI, four walks and a 1.269 OPS for High-A Cedar Rapids...played 16 games for Scottsdale Scorpions in the Arizona Fall League, hitting .216 (11-for-51) with seven stolen bases and nine walks.
2020
Did not play professionally; minor league season cancelled due to COVID-19.
2019
Spent entire season with High-A Fort Myers...placed on 7-day Injured List July 22 with right forearm fracture and did not return...ranked fourth on Mighty Mussels in games (82) and fifth in at-bats (284).
2018
Began professional career with Rookie-Elizabethton and played in 12 games for the E-Twins before being promoted to Low-A Cedar Rapids August 6...combined to hit .361 (53-for-147) with a .919 OPS in 39 games between both levels...named Twins MiLB.com organizational All-Star.
