Colorado Rockies: Todd Helton’s odds for a 2021 Hall of Fame nod

The Colorado Rockies saw their first-ever player inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2020 as Larry Walker got the call from Cooperstown. What are the odds of Todd Helton being voted into baseball immortality in 2021?

Of the former Colorado Rockies currently on the Baseball Hall of Fame ballot (including Michael Cuddyer, LaTroy Hawkins, and Todd Helton), Helton is the only one who is a returning member to the ballot. In his third season on the ballot, what are the odds of Helton being voted into the Hall of Fame by the voting members of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America (BBWAA)? One site says it’s possible, but still a long shot in 2021.

According to BetOnline.ag, Helton is a 20-to-1 pick to be voted into the Hall of Fame in 2021. There are seven other players with better odds to make it to Cooperstown this year, with Curt Schilling (1/20) and Omar Vizquel (2/3) the current favorites.

Also ahead of Helton in the odds are Roger Clemens (5/1), Barry Bonds (6/1), Scott Rolen (10/1), Billy Wagner (12/1), and Gary Sheffield (12/1).

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Helton’s case for the Hall of Fame has been well documented (you can read about it here), yet there are still plenty who see Helton’s numbers and can only think of Coors Field. It’s a similar scenario that Larry Walker fought until he was finally elected in his 10th and final season on the ballot.

Walker’s election into the Hall could well boost Helton’s chances, but Helton has also received a nice uptick in votes year-to-year since appearing on the ballot. After receiving 70 out of 425 votes in 2019 (16.5 percent), Helton moved that number to 116 out of 397 (29.2 percent) in 2020. As a reminder, a player must receive a vote on 75 percent of the ballots in order to be enshrined in the Baseball Hall of Fame.

The 29.2 percent threshold is a good sign for Helton as only three players in Hall of Fame voting history have had a vote percentage of 29.2 percent or higher in their second year on the ballot and were not subsequently elected.

Helton is the only member of the Rockies to have his number retired. Helton played his entire 17-year career with the Rockies, and paces the franchise in games played (2,247), runs (1,401), hits (2,519), doubles (592), homers (369), RBI (1,406), and walks (1,335).