Who is Micheal Helman and how has he quietly become one of the better Rangers bats?

His 2025 year is quite a redemption story.

Helman is a twenty-nine-year-old outfielder who was drafted by the Minnesota Twins in 2018 and toiled away in their minor league system for seven seasons, finally making it to the major leagues with the Twins in 2024 after 500 games.

He got into ten games for the Twins in ’24, batting an even .300 with a decent .800 OPS.

The Twins traded him to the Cardinals in February. The Cardinals DFAed him in May. He was picked up by the Pirates on May 14 and DFAed by them two days later. Three days after that, the Rangers claimed him off waivers. 

Helman made his debut with the Rangers on June 27. He made a name for himself with the Rangers last night with a five-RBI performance capped by a grand slam to obliterate a 0-0 game against the Brewers, who just happen to have the best record in baseball. 

Suddenly, his .886 OPS and 156 OPS+ are the highest on the Rangers. Granted, he doesn’t have many at-bats by comparison, but Corey Seager’s OPS is .860 and his OPS+ is 149.

Does that make Micheal Helman the best hitter on the Rangers. Of course not. But he is a dependable, valuable asset in the lineup and a more-than-capable substitute in center for the injured Evan Carter.

Maybe he’s one of those guys who just needed a chance. He’s getting it with the Texas and is making the most of it with his first career grand slam and the Rangers first grand slam of the season in a 5-0 win over Milwaukee.

The ultimate underdog is having his day.     

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