Helms attended and played baseball at
Ashbrook High School in
Gastonia, North Carolina. The
Atlanta Braves selected Helms in the 10th round of the
1994 Major League Baseball draft. He made his major league debut with the Braves on September 5, 1998. On December 16, 2002, the Braves traded Helms and
John Foster to the
Milwaukee Brewers in exchange for
Ray King. Following a successful first season with the Brewers, in which he hit 23
home runs and collected 67
RBI, he suffered a knee injury in a game against the
Montreal Expos. After returning from the
disabled list, he struggled to regain his previous form as well as playing time, being demoted to backup duties behind
Russell Branyan. On November 15, 2006, Helms agreed to a two-year, $5.5 million contract-in-principle with the
Philadelphia Phillies, which included a club option for the third year. On April 2, 2008, he was
designated for assignment by the Phillies, and three days later was traded to the
Florida Marlins, in exchange for cash considerations. He was released by the Marlins on August 13, 2011. On August 17, 2011, he signed a minor league contract with the
Atlanta Braves and was assigned to the Triple-A
Gwinnett Braves. He was released by the Braves on September 1, 2011. == Coaching career ==