Twins' Unexpected September Call-up Has a Chance to Earn a Major-League Future

Ahead of Sunday’s September roster expansion—the day that MLB teams' active rosters move from 26 to 28 players—most expected the Twins’ lone hitting addition to be the rehabbing prospect, Brooks Lee. Lee was, indeed, activated from his rehab stint in Triple-A, but an unexpected second move was made, too: the Twins selected the contract of Michael Helman.

Helman, an 11th-round draft pick out of Texas A&M in 2018, probably can’t be labeled a prospect anymore, as he turned 28 in May. Even as a prospect, he rarely cracked organizational top-30 lists. He comes with little fanfare. However, he has a tremendous opportunity in front of him.

Helman was selected to replace injured platoon outfielder Manuel Margot. Without a Margot injury, we probably wouldn’t see Helman, but opportunities are hard to come by when you’re a 28-year-old in his third year at Triple-A. Helman has hit well this season, carrying the fourth-highest OPS on St. Paul’s squad at .876. He’s been about 25 percent better than an average hitter in the International League over the past two seasons.

This trip may be a standard cup of coffee for a minor-league veteran—something of a “thank you” from the organization. Byron Buxton’s return from injury may be imminent, which would jeopardize Helman’s spot. Still, Helman should have some opportunity to make an impression on the big-league club.

It’s vital for any player in the same archetype as Helman (middle-round draft pick with little prospect pedigree, now in his late 20s) to do so. However, Helman is precisely positioned to have a shot at a big-league role in Minnesota next season.

We all know the current payroll situation. There are no signs of it improving this offseason, and with the contracts on the books for 2025 already projected to exceed the 2024 payroll, it’s hard to see the front office being permitted to throw much money around. Most (read: all, including the players affected) expect the club to decline team options on Margot and platoon infielder Kyle Farmer, among other cost-saving measures.

Margot and Farmer's all-but-certain departures are especially pertinent to a player like Helman. Helman is right-handed, like those two, and he has been playing shortstop, third base, second base, center field, and left field in St. Paul. Those five positions combine for 79 percent of Margot and Farmer’s innings (with the remaining 21% being Margot’s 220 innings in right field).

It’s debatable exactly how well Helman can play those positions, but that flexibility is valuable for a player whose best-case scenario is that of a utilityman. And the Twins are a club that loves righty bench players who can fill the weak side of a platoon. Add his speed into Helman’s profile (he’s stolen bases with an 81 percent success rate), and he can provide value in a number of different ways.

His .875 OPS in the hitter-friendly International League doesn’t guarantee success, but if he can hit lefties competently, he could be an option for Minnesota in 2025 and beyond as a platoon bat. This season, he’s been worse against lefties than righties, but he’s historically hit marginally better against southpaws. Reverse splits for hitters are rare, and it's very unlikely that Helman is such a player.

The unfortunate truth for Helman is just how limited this opportunity is. Next season, he’ll be 29. He has no standout tool, though his speed is respectable. He has internal competition for this hypothetical righty utility player spot, too. You don’t need to look further than Austin Martin, another speedy youngster who can play in the outfield and on the dirt.

Helman is slower than Martin, and there’s less confidence in the 28-year-old’s bat, though Helman possesses more skill in the field and positional flexibility. He’s also three years older than Martin. Beyond that, this cup of coffee may only last days, as the return of Byron Buxton or Carlos Correa likely squeeze Helman out of work, assuming no other injuries manifest (then again: who are we kidding?).

However, this is his moment. The next one isn’t guaranteed. If Helman impresses in any way whatsoever over the next month of baseball, his future can be drastically changed. Twenty-eight-year-old minor leaguers are often on the chopping block over the offseason, as players are taken off the 60-day injured list, get protected ahead of the Rule 5 Draft, or are otherwise acquired by the organization. When the team is trying to reduce payroll, though, that pressure tends to lighten a bit.

There is a role for Helman to step into next year, amid the loss of veteran role players and a limited budget. It’s the perfect storm for Helman to latch on to a major-league job, if even for a season or two. Is it likely? Probably not. He’s thus far avoided the Drew Maggi-Moonlight Graham treatment as he’s in the lineup for Tuesday night’s game. It’s a chance, for a man who’s worked his keister off to get this far.