HOUSTON, Texas (KBTX) – In the middle of the visitor’s clubhouse in Houston’s Daiken Park is a quartet of leather couches, positioned in a square.
Michael Helman, dressed in the standard Texas Ranger batting practice uniform, casually lounged on one couch, intermittently scrolling on his phone while carrying on conversations with the players sitting around him. In this small glimpse of the life of a Major League baseball player, Helman fit like a perfectly-sized batting glove.
Over the last month and a half, Helman has equally proven he belongs on the field as the spark plug for an injury-riddled Rangers squad.
“Michael’s done a really nice job, incredible job, coming up here and being a shot in the arm with his play, but also his energy that he’s brought,” Rangers manager Bruce Bochy said. “Happy for this young man, with all the work he’s put in to get this opportunity. He’s taken full advantage of it.”
Since beginning his professional journey as an 11th-round pick in the 2018 MLB Draft by the Minnesota Twins, Helman has bounced around the minor leagues. Through seven minor league seasons, Helman slashed .256/.328/.435 with 76 home runs and 288 RBIs.
After a nine-game stint in the majors with the Twins in 2024, he was traded to the St. Louis Cardinals during spring training of 2025. Three months later, he was claimed off waivers by the Pittsburgh Pirates, but was designated for assignment before appearing in a game. Texas took a chance on him by claiming him off waivers in May of this year.
With a slew of injuries plaguing the Rangers in July, Helman got his chance with the big club. The call came as somewhat of a surprise to the utility fielder. At that time, he hit .245 with eight home runs and 32 RBIs for Triple-A Round Rock.
“It’s not like I was playing my best baseball, either, but if the team needs you or you fit that need that they have at the time, it’s your time to go,” Helman told KBTX during the Rangers’ road series at Houston last week. “All I could do is just play the game hard and play the game right and try and help the team in any way I possibly can.”
In late August, his dedication began paying dividends.
In seven games played that month, Helman slashed .315/.409/.684 with an OPS of 1.093, sitting near the top of the league in the category. He added a pair of home runs and six RBIs during the timeframe.
Then, during an early-September series against the Milwaukee Brewers at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Helman truly endeared himself to the Rangers fan base. He started what would become a seven-game hit streak with a pair of home runs, including the Rangers’ only grand slam of the season. He also made a home-run-robbing grab at the wall in one of the games, helping lead the Rangers to a sweep of the Brewers.
“Honestly, it was a complete blur,” Helman said of the series. “I had so much adrenaline going for probably three days straight. Didn’t get much sleep. But, yeah, it was a cool moment and just knowing how good of a team that is and being able to sweep that team at home was awesome.”
The grand slam may be one of the biggest highlights of the Rangers’ season, but it was less exciting in the moment for Helman than for everyone watching along. After his swing, his helmet shifted sideways and blocked his view of the sailing shot. Off the bat, he thought he hooked the hit foul.
“Then I heard the crowd kind of going crazy,” he said. “I was like, ‘Oh, it must be fair,’ and I didn’t even figure out where the ball was until I was almost at first base.”
Since his emergence with the major league team up Interstate 35 from his alma mater, Helman says Aggies from all over the state, and baseball, have reached out to send their congratulations. In the series before Houston, the Rangers squared off against the New York Mets and Aggie pitcher Brooks Raley, which was a special moment for Helman. Plenty of maroon-clad fans have shown up around batting practice since Helman’s call-up, a fact that he’s tried to salute after every home run he’s hit.
“Just being a part of that family, it’s awesome. Anytime I’ve hit a homer so far, I’ve thrown up the ‘Gig’em’ once I’m hitting second base.
College Station has also become home for Helman and his wife during the offseason, where he’s built a relationship with current Aggie head coach Michael Earley and some of the players active on the A&M roster.
Despite Helman’s push, the Rangers will fall short of the postseason and wrap up the year Sunday at Cleveland. It will spell the end of the 29-year-old’s one-year contract with the Rangers, though he’s built up a solid resume over the last three months.
And yet, for all he’s been able to achieve at the sport’s highest level, Helman still mentally pinches himself every time he’s around some of the team’s superstars. When asked about his ‘ah-ha’ moment, he mentioned sharing a clubhouse with the likes of pitcher Jacob deGrom, right as the towering 6-foot-4, 180-pound pitcher walked through the clubhouse door. Helman looked up at the passing All-Star with admiration as deGrom issued a familiar greeting to the newly minted major leaguer.
“I’m very blessed to be in this situation, be in this spot, and just to have that endless support is big for me,” he said.
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