Todd Helton vs Brian McCann: 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). Todd Helton played 1997–2013 as a hitter; Brian McCann played 2005–2019 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
Todd Helton (1997–2013) and Brian McCann (2005–2019) — they broke in during the 1990s and the 2000s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Todd Helton finished with 2,519 hits and 369 home runs; Brian McCann finished with 1,590 hits and 282 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 Brian McCann's 282.
- Who had the higher OPS? Todd Helton, with .953 to Brian McCann's .789.
- Who had the higher batting average? Todd Helton, with .316 to Brian McCann's .262.
- Who had more hits? Todd Helton, with 2,519 to Brian McCann's 1,590.
- Who drove in more runs? Todd Helton, with 1,406 to Brian McCann's 1,018.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Todd Helton, with 48,515 career PIV to Brian McCann's 9,133.
- Who won more championships? Brian McCann, with 1 World Series title to Todd Helton's 0.
Todd Helton
Brian McCann
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Todd Helton and Brian McCann. 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 1990s and the 2000s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Todd Helton | Brian McCann |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,247 | 1,755 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 7,962 | 6,067 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,401 | 742 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,519 | 1,590 |
| Doubles | Leads: 592 | 294 |
| Triples | Leads: 37 | 5 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 369 | 282 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,406 | 1,018 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,335 | 640 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,175 | 1,054 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 37 | 25 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .316 | .262 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .414 | .337 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .539 | .452 |
| OPS | Leads: .953 | .789 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Todd Helton outpaces Brian McCann 48,515 to 9,133 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,854 PIV per season to 609, across 17 seasons to 15. 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).
Todd Helton — top 3 seasons by OPS
Brian McCann — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Todd Helton leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Brian McCann 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 Todd Helton and Brian McCann careers compare
From 2005 through 2013, Todd Helton and Brian McCann were in the majors together. With 2,247 games against 1,755 across 17 and 15 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. Todd Helton leads every scored row of the table. At the plate, Todd Helton walked more often than struck out (1,335 walks, 1,175 strikeouts), while Brian McCann struck out more than walked (1,054 to 640). Best seasons: 2000 for Todd Helton (1.162 OPS, 42 HR, 147 RBI, .372 avg) and 2006 for Brian McCann (.961 OPS, 24 HR, 93 RBI, .333 avg).
Todd Helton vs Brian McCann: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Todd Helton or Brian McCann?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Todd Helton leads Brian McCann in 14 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Todd Helton or Brian McCann hit more home runs?
- Todd Helton, with 369 to Brian McCann's 282.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Todd Helton, with .953 to Brian McCann's .789.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Todd Helton, with .316 to Brian McCann's .262.
- Who had more hits?
- Todd Helton, with 2,519 to Brian McCann's 1,590.