I vividly remember Sept. 29, 2013.

I was working the cramped and antiquated visitors clubhouse at Dodger Stadium, hunting for stories and tidbits on the final day of Todd Helton’s brilliant career.

Helton, age 40, was a bit irascible. I couldn’t blame him. It was an emotional day and everyone wanted a piece of him, including a 22-year-old, rookie third baseman named Nolan Arenado.

Arenado hung out near Helton’s locker, wanting to get a bat signed, wanting to be part of the moment. Eventually, Helton used a few choice words to banish the kid from his presence.

Arenado is no longer a kid. He’s 27, a five-time Gold Glove winner and a three-time all-star. He has become the face of the Rockies, at least for now, and has a chance — a chance, mind you — of being the greatest Rockies player of all time.

Only when more time has passed and when perspective becomes more measured will we know which man holds the title. There is no right answer, of course, but it’s a fun sports bar argument. With Helton, as well as Larry Walker, returning to Coors Field this weekend as part of the Rockies’ silver anniversary celebration, it’s a good time to stir the debate.

I’m aware that many fans believe Walker is the most-talented player in franchise history, but Helton’s No. 17 is the club’s only retired number, and his face belongs on Colorado’s Mount Rushmore of sports figures.

Here are Helton’s career statistics: 2,247 games played, .316 batting average, .414 on-base percentage, 2,519 hits, 369 homers, 592 doubles, 1,406 RBIs and a .953 OPS. He won four Gold Gloves and was a five-time all-star. That might be good enough to get Helton to Cooperstown.

Here are Arenado’s statistics, entering the weekend: 789 games played, .292 batting average, .346 on-base percentage, 838 hits, 164 homers, 202 doubles, 557 RBIs and a .885 OPS.

For a better comparison, here are Helton’s numbers after his first 789 games: .334 average, .418 OBP, 937 hits, 178 homers, 226 doubles, 602 RBIs and a 1.033 OPS.

A couple of things should be noted here. First, Helton’s production waned significantly in the second half of his career. For example, he mashed 251 homers from 1997-2004 vs. 118 from 2005-2013. Second, from 1997-2001, he played without the humidor at Coors Field. Related Articles Rockies’ struggles continue with loss against Giants

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It’s clear Helton was a better pure hitter early in his career than Arenado has been, but Arenado’s .309 average last season, and his .317 mark this year, show that’s he’s becoming a more mature hitter. What’s more, if Arenado stays healthy, he could very well finish his career with more home runs, doubles and RBIs than Helton.

Yet staying healthy and putting up plus-numbers over the long haul isn’t easy, and it remains to be seen if Arenado will stand the test of time.

It is clear that Arenado’s legacy as a fielder overshadows Helton. As good as Helton was around the first-base bag, he never impacted games on an almost daily basis the way Arenado does. It’s evident, already, that Arenado wields one of the best third-base gloves in big-league history.

If he keeps it up, Arenado’s combination of defense and power hitting will land him in the Hall of Fame. But whether his No. 28 will ever join Helton’s No. 17 on the second-deck facade at Coors Field remains in doubt. Arenado is scheduled to become a free agent after the 2019 season and there has not been any movement toward signing him to a long-term deal.

Should Arenado stand any chance of going down as the greatest to ever wear purple pinstripes, general manager Jeff Bridich will need to offer a contract that makes sticking around Denver worth his while.