Helms, a 1994 graduate of Ashbrook High School in Gastonia, NC, was inducted into the Gaston County Sports Hall of Fame in 2016. Drafted by the Atlanta Braves in the 10th round of the 1994 MLB June Amateur Draft, Helms made his major league debut on September 5, 1998. Over the course of his career, he spent parts of 13 seasons in the majors with the Braves (1998, 2000-02), Milwaukee Brewers (2003-05), Florida Marlins (2006, 2008-11), and Philadelphia Phillies (2007). He compiled a career batting average of .256 with 694 hits, 75 home runs, and 374 RBIs over 1,212 big league games.