Mark Grace vs Todd Helton: Career Stats Comparison
Todd Helton has the better career line of the two, leading 11 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Mark Grace played 1988–2003 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
Mark Grace (1988–2003) and Todd Helton (1997–2013) — they broke in during the 1980s and the 1990s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Mark Grace finished with 2,445 hits and 173 home runs; 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 Mark Grace's 173.
- Who had the higher OPS? Todd Helton, with .953 to Mark Grace's .825.
- Who had the higher batting average? Todd Helton, with .316 to Mark Grace's .303.
- Who had more hits? Todd Helton, with 2,519 to Mark Grace's 2,445.
- Who drove in more runs? Todd Helton, with 1,406 to Mark Grace's 1,146.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Todd Helton, with 48,515 career PIV to Mark Grace's 21,759.
- Who won more championships? Mark Grace, with 1 World Series title to Todd Helton's 0.
Mark Grace
Todd Helton
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Mark Grace 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 1980s and the 1990s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Mark Grace | Todd Helton |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 2,245 | Leads: 2,247 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 8,065 | 7,962 |
| Runs | 1,179 | Leads: 1,401 |
| Hits | 2,445 | Leads: 2,519 |
| Doubles | 511 | Leads: 592 |
| Triples | Leads: 45 | 37 |
| Home Runs | 173 | Leads: 369 |
| RBI | 1,146 | Leads: 1,406 |
| Walks | 1,075 | Leads: 1,335 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 642 | 1,175 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 70 | 37 |
| Batting Avg | .303 | Leads: .316 |
| On-Base % | .383 | Leads: .414 |
| Slugging % | .442 | Leads: .539 |
| OPS | .825 | Leads: .953 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Todd Helton outpaces Mark Grace 48,515 to 21,759 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,854 PIV per season to 1,360, across 17 seasons to 16. 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).
Mark Grace — 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 Mark Grace owns stolen bases. 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 Mark Grace and Todd Helton careers compare
Mark Grace and Todd Helton were active at the same time between 1997 and 2003. The two careers are close in length, 2,245 games for Mark Grace and 2,247 for Todd Helton across 16 and 17 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. The green cells for Mark Grace are at-bats (8,065 to 7,962), triples (45 to 37), and stolen bases (70 to 37). Mark Grace walked more often than struck out (1,075 walks, 642 strikeouts); Todd Helton walked more often than struck out (1,335 walks, 1,175 strikeouts). Todd Helton is the more power-leaning hitter, with 369 of 2,519 hits leaving the park.
Mark Grace vs Todd Helton: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Mark Grace or Todd Helton?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Todd Helton leads Mark Grace in 11 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Mark Grace or Todd Helton hit more home runs?
- Todd Helton, with 369 to Mark Grace's 173.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Todd Helton, with .953 to Mark Grace's .825.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Todd Helton, with .316 to Mark Grace's .303.
- Who had more hits?
- Todd Helton, with 2,519 to Mark Grace's 2,445.