Warmer Minnesota Weather Has Helped this Twins Prospect Thrive at AAA with the Saints

[Theo Tollefson]

Michael Helman started his breakout last summer in Cedar Rapids. It continued in the Arizona Fall League, and he's taken it to a different level in 2022. After a strong start in Wichita, Helman has been impressive with the Saints. Recently, Twins Daily's Theodore Tollefson sat down with the Saints super utility player to talk about his hitting, fielder, and season so far. 

 

Michael Helman is not used to the frigid Minnesota cold which is why he was thankful to be called up the St. Paul Saints on May 31 instead of in April. Although he grew up in Lincoln, Nebraska, the cold there never reaches the frigid temps it does in Minnesota. 

Helman was drafted by the Twins in the 11th round of the 2018 MLB June Amateur Draft as a second baseman out of Texas A&M. Now he finds himself playing almost every position as the Twins organization has developed him into a super utility player at both Double-A Wichita and Triple=A this season. 

Helman spoke on the shifts around to different positions as the season has gone on saying, “I always feel comfortable in the outfield. Third base, I'm starting to feel a lot more comfortable there and actually starting to get some shortstop now [including tonight], which is just definitely new and I'm not opposed to trying every single position.”

Last night, Helman played his first game at shortstop for the season. He has only played 15 games at the position professionally and while he is still making adjustments to the position, he is ready to take on the challenges ahead to become the super utility player he hopes to be. 

“I would say it's mainly just you're clocking in and field. At second base, I feel like I usually have a lot more time. Same with third base because everything's usually hit pretty hard. Shortstop is a little different, where you have to have good rhythm, timing, getting to the ball and getting it out quick,” said Helman. 

Current manager for Helman, Toby Gardenhire, spoke on the greatness of having him as a versatile utility player, "That's the goal with the way baseball is heading nowadays. To be able to put different guys in different positions on any given day based on who the pitcher matchups are and you see teams like the Dodgers do a really good job of that there. If you can get guys like Michael to play  in the outfield, sometimes at the corner positions, you can do so many different things. All it does is help you out when you're trying to make out a lineup because, I can speak for example, when I'm making a lineup I don't really worry about where Helman or Soto are. I just worry about the rest of the guys and I figure out where we don't have a guy and then I put down Helman there, and that's a really nice thing about him."

Along with covering every corner of the diamond, Helman has had his best season at the plate in 2022 too. In 77 total games this season, Helman is hitting .284/.370/.470 (.840) with 12 home runs, 39 RBI, and 23 stolen bases. Helman has attributed his hitting success this season and in 2021 to Twins Minor League Hitting Coordinator Bryce Berg.

Berg has spent three seasons with the Twins organization, originally hired to be the Cedar Rapids Kernels hitting coach for the 2020 season. With that season canceled across the minor leagues due to COVID-19, Helman was able to get a lot of one-on-one mentorship with Berg that has shaped him into the hitter he is today. 

“Having 2020 off was kind of a big refresher because I just came off a tough year with the Miracle. Going into that spring training, I felt the best I've ever felt. When they ended up canceling the season that hurt. But at the same time, I built off what I was feeling and/or doing during that spring training and just worked out through 2020 with Bryce Berg, our hitting coordinator now. He had a lot of good things to help me with and everything just clicked,” said Helman. 

"Mike's journey was was pretty fun to work through. I think the best testament to him was just the fact that from a growth perspective, he was always open to grow. He was always open minded about new things, which was going to be really helpful for him, he came off of a season in 2019, where he got hurt. He's done a great job throughout his career of making contact, not striking out," said Berg on his experience mentoring Helman since 2020. 

Helman went into sharing the small details where he really felt helped with his hitting from Berg saying, “It was mainly timing with my swing and being able to get ready earlier in the box than I usually expected. Working with Bryce, I found I needed to have a more vertical swing path. We did a lot of drills that helped with that.” 

In addition to Berg, Helman has received mentorship from current teammates John Andreoli and Mark Contreras. Being around these two and other teammates with Big League experience has helped him grow a lot in his short time with the Saints. 

“I played with Mark before our time here. A lot of these guys I've played with earlier in my career, and it's just nice to have them around and be able to talk to them about certain things that they've seen coming up through the system. Mark talks to everybody, and he's shared everything on his time with the Twins this year. He's a great guy who loves to make friends around the clubhouse, and now he shares his experiences and I think it's definitely worthwhile to listen in.”

The month and a half that Helman has spent on the Saints roster has been the longest amount of time he has spent in Minnesota in his life. He did make a trip up to the state as a kid for a softball tournament his sister participated in and made a stop at Mall of America during that time. 

Now, he’s becoming accustomed to the state and fully aware the warm weather won’t be around forever as his Saints teammates who played frigid games in April have reminded him.

“I am from Nebraska. I’ve played in cold weather, snow and everything else there. But after going out to Texas for school and coming back, I mean, I don't know what it’s like playing in the cold weather anymore.” 

No matter how the weather is on game days for the remainder of the season, Helman is excited to see what comes his way. Whether it's trying to play as many different positions in the field as possible, bringing his season totals at the plate to all-time career highs, or finally making his MLB debut. Helman has nothing but high hopes for the remainder of the 2022 season. 

 

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[DocBauer]

When the Twins drafted Helman I thought they might have a steal on their hands. He's a really good athlete who played in a major program and offered some real upside. And then 2019 happened and I wasn't sure what to expect from him any longer, especially with no 2020. He was solid last year, with a power breakout, even though the BA was rather low. Really looks like he used his AFL time last year to really bloom.

If it turns out he can play at least a serviceable SS that would be some "awesome sauce" to add to his resume and potential. He can 2B/3B and all 3 OF spots. Rumor has it he's pretty good in CF. He can hit, make some contact, get OB, and he's got decent power and can sure run.

Is he "there" yet? Probably not. But it's Helman, Steer, and Julien that could make Gordon and Urshela expendable, and perhaps pretty soon. A trio of multi-position capable players who hit, have pop/power, speed in a couple cases, and create some tremendous depth and roster flexibility. 

[ashbury]

6 hours ago, Theo Tollefson said:

Is that Sisk on the mound?  His motion looks like a balk move toward first base - except I don't think there's a baserunner there.