Michael Busch vs Todd Helton: Career Stats Comparison
Todd Helton has the better career line of the two, leading 14 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Michael Busch has played 2023–present as a hitter; Todd Helton played 1997–2013 as a hitter.
- AVG (Batting Average):
- Hits divided by at bats. .300 is the traditional mark of an excellent hitter.
- HR (Home Runs):
- Hits on which the batter circled the bases and scored, almost always by clearing the outfield fence.
- RBI (Runs Batted In):
- Runs that scored as a direct result of a batter's plate appearance.
- OPS (On-Base Plus Slugging):
- On-base percentage plus slugging percentage, the quickest single summary of offensive value. .900 or better is star-level.
Data updated
Michael Busch (2023–present) and Todd Helton (1997–2013) — they broke in during the 2020s and the 1990s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Michael Busch has 417 hits and 77 home runs through October 6, 2026; Todd Helton finished with 2,519 hits and 369 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Todd Helton, with 369 to Michael Busch's 77.
- Who had the higher OPS? Todd Helton, with .953 to Michael Busch's .783.
- Who had the higher batting average? Todd Helton, with .316 to Michael Busch's .246.
- Who had more hits? Todd Helton, with 2,519 to Michael Busch's 417.
- Who drove in more runs? Todd Helton, with 1,406 to Michael Busch's 239.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Todd Helton, with 48,515 career PIV to Michael Busch's 2,777.
Michael Busch
Todd Helton
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Michael Busch and Todd Helton. Cells highlighted in green mark the category leader. 14 of the 15 lines below are scored; the other one is a counting total on which fewer is not an achievement, so no one is awarded it. Counting stats reward longevity, and strikeouts are left unmarked because a longer career accumulates more of them. Rate stats are not era-adjusted, and the 2020s and the 1990s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
Michael Busch is still active — his totals below are current through October 6, 2026.
| Statistic | Michael Busch | Todd Helton |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 494 | Leads: 2,247 |
| At-Bats | 1,692 | Leads: 7,962 |
| Runs | 238 | Leads: 1,401 |
| Hits | 417 | Leads: 2,519 |
| Doubles | 83 | Leads: 592 |
| Triples | 9 | Leads: 37 |
| Home Runs | 77 | Leads: 369 |
| RBI | 239 | Leads: 1,406 |
| Walks | 219 | Leads: 1,335 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 493 | 1,175 |
| Stolen Bases | 10 | Leads: 37 |
| Batting Avg | .246 | Leads: .316 |
| On-Base % | .340 | Leads: .414 |
| Slugging % | .443 | Leads: .539 |
| OPS | .783 | Leads: .953 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Todd Helton outpaces Michael Busch 48,515 to 2,777 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,854 PIV per season to 926, across 17 seasons to 3. PIV adjusts each season to league baselines, so it's the cleanest way to compare careers across eras.
PIV is computed through the 2025 season. The career totals on this page include 2026 to date, so PIV does not yet reflect the 2026 season.
Peak Seasons
The best single seasons each player produced, ranked by OPS among qualified workloads (300+ at-bats).
Michael Busch — top 3 seasons by OPS
Todd Helton — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Todd Helton leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Michael Busch owns no headline categories. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Todd Helton. PIV agrees: Todd Helton grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Michael Busch and Todd Helton careers compare
No season is shared: Todd Helton played 1997–2013, Michael Busch 2023–present. Todd Helton has the far longer record, 2,247 games against 494 across 3 and 17 PIV seasons, which inflates every career total. Todd Helton leads every scored row of the table. At the plate, Michael Busch struck out more than walked (493 to 219), while Todd Helton walked more often than struck out (1,335 walks, 1,175 strikeouts). Todd Helton's slugging percentage of .539 tops Michael Busch's .443. Best seasons: 2025 for Michael Busch (.866 OPS, 34 HR, 90 RBI, .261 avg) and 2000 for Todd Helton (1.162 OPS, 42 HR, 147 RBI, .372 avg). Because Michael Busch is still playing, the totals above will keep moving through the season.
Michael Busch vs Todd Helton: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Michael Busch or Todd Helton?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Todd Helton leads Michael Busch in 14 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Michael Busch or Todd Helton hit more home runs?
- Todd Helton, with 369 to Michael Busch's 77.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Todd Helton, with .953 to Michael Busch's .783.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Todd Helton, with .316 to Michael Busch's .246.
- Who had more hits?
- Todd Helton, with 2,519 to Michael Busch's 417.