Nelson Cruz

Pitcher · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1997-2003)

Nelson Cruz was a pitcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1997 to 2003 for 4 teams, including the Chicago White Sox, a span of 7 seasons. Across 204 career appearances, he went 15-23 with a 5.04 ERA and 277 strikeouts.

W (Wins):
Games credited to a pitcher whose team took a lead it never surrendered while he was the pitcher of record.
ERA (Earned Run Average):
Earned runs allowed per nine innings pitched: (ER × 9) ÷ IP. The primary measure of pitching effectiveness.
SO (Strikeouts):
For a batter, times retired on a third strike; for a pitcher, batters retired on a third strike.
WHIP (Walks and Hits per Inning Pitched):
Baserunners allowed per inning: (BB + H) ÷ IP. Under 1.00 is elite.

Data updated

W–L 15–23
ERA 5.04
WHIP 1.37
SO 277
Pitcher PIV -2911.2
Position
Pitcher
Bats / Throws
R / R
Height / Weight
6'1" / 175 lb
Born
9/13/1972 in Puerto Plata, Puerto Plata, D.R.
MLB Debut
1997-08-01
Last Game
2003-07-09
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Career Pitching Statistics

Nelson Cruz — Career Pitching Statistics
W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER HR BB SO ERA Pitcher PIV
15 23 204 18 0 0 2 348.1 369 195 59 109 277 5.04 -2911.2

Career ERA 5.04 vs. league average 4.49 across their career seasons — 12.1% worse than league average.

Season-by-Season Pitching

Pitching Career Arc

Click a stat to plot it across every season.

Nelson Cruz — Season-by-Season Pitching
Year Team Lg W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER BB SO ERA Lg ERA Pitcher PIV
1997 CHA AL 0 2 19 0 0 0 0 26.1 29 19 9 23 6.49 4.39 (-48%) -632.2
1999 DET AL 2 5 29 6 0 0 0 66.2 74 42 23 46 5.67 4.71 (-20%) -600.8
2000 DET AL 5 2 27 0 0 0 0 41.0 39 14 13 34 3.07 4.77 (+36%) 883.7
2001 HOU NL 3 3 66 0 0 0 2 82.1 72 38 24 75 4.15 4.42 (+6%) 525.4
2002 HOU NL 2 6 43 5 0 0 0 78.1 90 39 29 61 4.48 4.28 (-5%) -897.8
2003 COL NL 3 5 20 7 0 0 0 53.2 65 43 11 38 7.21 4.40 (-64%) -2189.3
Career · 6 seasons 15 23 204 18 0 0 2 348.1 369 195 109 277 5.04 — -2,911

Lg columns show the league average for that season, with the player's figure as a percentage above or below it. Career totals the seasons listed above.

Career Batting Statistics

Nelson Cruz — Career Batting Statistics
G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
204 33 1 3 1 0 0 2 0 1 12 .091 .118 .121 .239 0

Career AVG .091 vs. league average .266 across their career seasons — 65.9% below league average.

Career OBP .118 vs. league average .337 across their career seasons — 65.1% below league average.

Career SLG .121 vs. league average .426 across their career seasons — 71.5% below league average.

Career OPS .239 vs. league average .763 across their career seasons — 68.7% below league average.

Season-by-Season Batting

Career Arc

Click a stat to plot it across every season.

Nelson Cruz — Season-by-Season Batting
Year Team Lg G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG Lg AVG Lg OBP Lg SLG Lg OPS PIV
1997 CHA AL 19 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
1999 DET AL 29 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
2000 DET AL 27 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
2001 HOU NL 66 6 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 .167 — — — — 0.0
2002 HOU NL 43 13 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 8 .000 — — — — 0.0
2003 COL NL 20 13 1 2 1 0 0 1 0 0 2 .154 — — — — 0.0
Career · 6 seasons 204 33 1 3 1 0 0 2 0 1 12 .091 — — — — 0

Lg columns show the league average for that season, with the player's figure as a percentage above or below it. Career totals the seasons listed above.

Postseason Statistics

Playoff Career Batting

Nelson Cruz — Playoff Career Batting
G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000

Playoff Batting by Year

Nelson Cruz — Playoff Batting by Year
Year Round Team G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
2001 NLDS1 HOU 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000

Playoff Career Pitching

Nelson Cruz — Playoff Career Pitching
W L G GS SV IP H ER BB SO ERA
0 0 2 0 0 2.2 1 0 1 1 0.00

Playoff Pitching by Year

Nelson Cruz — Playoff Pitching by Year
Year Round Team W L G GS SV IP H ER BB SO ERA
2001 NLDS1 HOU 0 0 2 0 0 2.2 1 0 1 1 0.00

Game Log & Splits

View full game log (408 games) →

Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).

Batting — Home / Away

Nelson Cruz — Batting — Home / Away
SplitGABRHHRRBIAVG
Home109210202.095
Away95121100.083

Pitching — Home / Away

Nelson Cruz — Pitching — Home / Away
SplitGIPHERBBSOERA
Home109186.119294521504.54
Away95162.0177101571275.61

Last 10 Games — Pitching

Nelson Cruz — Last 10 Games — Pitching
DateTmOppDecIPHRERBBSOHR
2003-07-09 COLSFG — 0.0222001
2003-07-07 COLAZ L 0.2344101
2003-07-05 COLMIL — 0.2111021
2003-07-03 COLAZ — 1.0000010
2003-07-01 COLAZ — 1.1000020
2003-06-29 COLPIT — 2.1333020
2003-06-23 COLSDP — 1.0100000
2003-06-19 COLSDP — 1.1100010
2003-06-16 COLSDP — 1.2311020
2003-06-11 COLMIN — 2.0211030

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Nelson Cruz — Career Fielding Totals by Position
Position G GS PO A E DP
P 204 18 31 56 3 3

Season-by-Season Fielding

Nelson Cruz — Season-by-Season Fielding
Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1997 CHA P 19 0 3 1 0 0
1999 DET P 29 6 8 17 2 0
2000 DET P 27 0 1 6 0 1
2001 HOU P 66 0 8 14 1 0
2002 HOU P 43 5 5 12 0 0
2003 COL P 20 7 6 6 0 2

Career Games by Position

Position Diamond

Circle size = games played at each position.

Nelson Cruz — Career Games by Position
Position Games
Pitcher 204

Salary History

Nelson Cruz's recorded salaries total $1,570,000 over 4 seasons, 1999 to 2003. This total is partial: the salary data covers 1985 to 2016, and Cruz's career ran from 1997 to 2003. No salary is recorded for 1997 and 2000.

Nelson Cruz — Salary History
Year Team League Salary
2003 COL NL $700,000
2002 HOU NL $375,000
2001 HOU NL $285,000
1999 DET AL $210,000
Total recorded salary (partial) $1,570,000

Most Similar Players

Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.

Career Spans

Nelson Cruz (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.

  1. 98
    Adam Morgan
    15-28, 4.80 ERA
  2. 92
    Bryse Wilson
    20-23, 4.79 ERA
  3. 92
    Travis Harper
    22-29, 4.94 ERA
  4. 90
    Jerry Spradlin
    17-19, 4.75 ERA
  5. 84
    Taylor Clarke
    18-20, 4.42 ERA
  6. 84
    Jason Bergmann
    12-24, 5.04 ERA

Nelson Cruz: the record in brief

Between the debut on August 1, 1997 and the final game on July 9, 2003, Nelson Cruz built the record summarized on this page. Club by club, the record runs the Chicago White Sox (1997), the Detroit Tigers (1999 to 2000), the Houston Astros (2001 to 2002), and the Colorado Rockies (2003). Cruz is listed as a pitcher at 6-foot-1 and 175 pounds. The bio says Cruz both batted and threw right-handed. Cruz was born on September 13, 1972, in Puerto Plata, Puerto Plata, D.R.

Cruz's career pitching line is 15 wins, 23 losses and a 5.04 ERA over 204 appearances. Also on Cruz's record: 277 strikeouts. Against a 4.49 league ERA for the same seasons, the 5.04 mark was 12.1% worse. Cruz won 5 games in 2000, the most of any season listed. Cruz struck out 75 batters in 2001, a career high. Among the heaviest workloads, the lowest ERA was 4.15 in 2001, when the league's was 4.42.

Frequently Asked Questions about Nelson Cruz

What years did Nelson Cruz play?
Nelson Cruz played in Major League Baseball from 1997 to 2003.
Was Nelson Cruz a pitcher?
Yes. Nelson Cruz pitched in the major leagues, recording 15 wins and 277 strikeouts.
How many home runs did Nelson Cruz hit?
Nelson Cruz hit 0 career home runs with 3 hits.
What teams did Nelson Cruz play for?
Nelson Cruz played for 4 teams: the Chicago White Sox (1997), the Detroit Tigers (1999–2000), the Houston Astros (2001–2002), and the Colorado Rockies (2003).
What were Nelson Cruz's career stats?
In 204 games, Nelson Cruz went 15-23 with a 5.04 ERA, 277 strikeouts, 348.1 innings pitched, and 2 saves.
How much did Nelson Cruz earn in his career?
Nelson Cruz's recorded salaries total $1,570,000 over 4 seasons, 1999 to 2003. This total is partial: the salary data covers 1985 to 2016, and Cruz's career ran from 1997 to 2003. No salary is recorded for 1997 and 2000.
What was Nelson Cruz's salary?
Nelson Cruz's last recorded salary was $700,000, in 2003. His highest recorded salary was $700,000, in 2003, and his lowest was $210,000, in 1999. The Salary History table lists each season from 1999 to 2003.
What position did Nelson Cruz play?
Nelson Cruz played primarily as a pitcher, the position where he appeared in the most games.
How tall was Nelson Cruz and how much did he weigh?
Nelson Cruz was listed at 6 feet 1 inch and 175 pounds.
What was Nelson Cruz's career ERA?
Nelson Cruz finished with a 5.04 career ERA, going 15-23 with 277 strikeouts.
How many strikeouts did Nelson Cruz have?
Nelson Cruz recorded 277 career strikeouts.
Is Nelson Cruz in the Hall of Fame?
No. Nelson Cruz has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.