Elmer Dessens

Pitcher · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1996-2010)

Elmer Dessens was a pitcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1996 to 2010 for 9 teams, including the Pittsburgh Pirates, a span of 15 seasons. Across 441 career appearances, he went 52-64 with a 4.44 ERA and 693 strikeouts. He also batted .163 with 0 home runs. His career Pitcher PIV — Baseball Data Hub's era-adjusted measure of pitching impact — is 161.3.

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 52–64
ERA 4.44
WHIP 1.40
SO 693
Pitcher PIV 161.3
Position
Pitcher
Bats / Throws
R / R
Height / Weight
5'11" / 200 lb
Born
1/13/1971 in Hermosillo, Sonora, México
MLB Debut
1996-06-24
Last Game
2010-10-02
📊 Compare This Player 📈 View Career Timeline

Career Pitching Statistics

Elmer Dessens — Career Pitching Statistics
W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER HR BB SO ERA Pitcher PIV
52 64 441 140 2 1 5 1174.1 1,300 579 145 348 693 4.44 161.3

Career ERA 4.44 vs. league average 4.41 across their career seasons — near league average.

Season-by-Season Pitching

Pitching Career Arc

Click a stat to plot it across every season.

Elmer Dessens Stats, Bio & Career Records
Year Team Lg W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER BB SO ERA Lg ERA Pitcher PIV
1996 PIT NL 0 2 15 3 0 0 0 25.0 40 23 4 13 8.28 4.61 (-80%) 602.7
1997 PIT NL 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 3.1 2 0 0 2 0.00 — 0.0
1998 PIT NL 2 6 43 5 0 0 0 74.2 90 47 25 43 5.67 4.43 (-28%) -562.4
2000 CIN NL 11 5 40 16 1 0 1 147.1 170 70 43 85 4.28 4.77 (+10%) 3682.0
2001 CIN NL 10 14 34 34 1 1 0 205.0 221 102 56 128 4.48 4.42 (-1%) -1262.0
2002 CIN NL 7 8 30 30 0 0 0 178.0 173 60 49 93 3.03 4.28 (+29%) -1493.8
2003 ARI NL 8 8 34 30 0 0 0 175.2 212 99 57 113 5.07 4.40 (-15%) -66.4
2004 ARI NL 1 6 38 9 0 0 2 85.1 107 45 23 55 4.75 4.46 (-6%) 401.4
2004 LAN NL 1 0 12 1 0 0 0 19.2 16 7 8 18 3.20 4.46 (+28%) -304.1
2005 LAN NL 1 2 28 7 0 0 0 65.2 63 26 19 37 3.56 4.29 (+17%) 493.0
2006 KCA AL 5 7 43 0 0 0 2 54.0 63 27 13 36 4.50 4.53 (+1%) 1327.7
2006 LAN NL 0 1 19 0 0 0 0 23.0 23 12 9 16 4.70 4.53 (-4%) -381.4
2007 MIL NL 1 1 12 0 0 0 0 15.0 24 11 3 12 6.60 4.47 (-48%) -137.4
2007 COL NL 1 1 5 5 0 0 0 19.0 21 16 9 10 7.58 4.47 (-69%) -564.1
2008 ATL NL 0 1 4 0 0 0 0 4.0 10 10 4 2 22.50 — 0.0
2009 NYN NL 0 0 28 0 0 0 0 32.2 24 12 10 14 3.31 4.32 (+24%) -824.9
2010 NYN NL 4 2 53 0 0 0 0 47.0 41 12 16 16 2.30 4.08 (+44%) -749.1
Career · 17 seasons 52 64 441 140 2 1 5 1,174.1 1,300 579 348 693 4.44 — 161

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

Elmer Dessens — Career Batting Statistics
G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
445 240 14 39 4 1 0 16 0 22 65 .163 .233 .188 .420 -386

Career AVG .163 vs. league average .265 across their career seasons — 38.7% below league average.

Career OBP .233 vs. league average .334 across their career seasons — 30.4% below league average.

Career SLG .188 vs. league average .422 across their career seasons — 55.6% below league average.

Career OPS .420 vs. league average .756 across their career seasons — 44.4% below league average.

Season-by-Season Batting

Career Arc

Click a stat to plot it across every season.

Elmer Dessens Stats, Bio & Career Records
Year Team Lg G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG Lg AVG Lg OBP Lg SLG Lg OPS PIV
1996 PIT NL 15 5 1 2 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 .400 — — — — 0.0
1997 PIT NL 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
1998 PIT NL 43 8 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 4 .000 — — — — 0.0
2000 CIN NL 40 40 6 4 0 0 0 0 0 7 16 .100 — — — — 0.0
2001 CIN NL 35 57 3 11 1 0 0 2 0 3 12 .193 .263 (-27%) .332 (-30%) .426 (-51%) .758 (-42%) -385.6
2002 CIN NL 31 45 1 9 0 0 0 5 0 3 11 .200 — — — — 0.0
2003 ARI NL 36 46 1 9 1 1 0 6 0 3 11 .196 — — — — 0.0
2004 ARI NL 38 18 0 3 2 0 0 0 0 3 3 .167 — — — — 0.0
2004 LAN NL 12 4 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .250 — — — — 0.0
2005 LAN NL 28 10 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 6 .000 — — — — 0.0
2006 KCA AL 43 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
2006 LAN NL 19 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
2007 MIL NL 12 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
2007 COL NL 5 6 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 2 .000 — — — — 0.0
2008 ATL NL 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
2009 NYN NL 28 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
2010 NYN NL 53 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
Career · 17 seasons 445 240 14 39 4 1 0 16 0 22 65 .163 — — — — -386

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

Elmer Dessens — Playoff Career Batting
G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000

Playoff Batting by Year

Elmer Dessens — Playoff Batting by Year
Year Round Team G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
2004 NLDS1 LAN 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000

Playoff Career Pitching

Elmer Dessens — Playoff Career Pitching
W L G GS SV IP H ER BB SO ERA
0 0 1 0 0 1.1 1 1 0 1 6.75

Playoff Pitching by Year

Elmer Dessens — Playoff Pitching by Year
Year Round Team W L G GS SV IP H ER BB SO ERA
2004 NLDS1 LAN 0 0 1 0 0 1.1 1 1 0 1 6.75

Game Log & Splits

View full game log (886 games) →

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

Batting — Home / Away

Elmer Dessens — Batting — Home / Away
SplitGABRHHRRBIAVG
Home21711782009.171
Away22812361907.154

Pitching — Home / Away

Elmer Dessens — Pitching — Home / Away
SplitGIPHERBBSOERA
Home215599.26222601733553.90
Away226574.26783191753385.00

Last 10 Games — Pitching

Elmer Dessens — Last 10 Games — Pitching
DateTmOppDecIPHRERBBSOHR
2010-10-02 NYNWAS — 0.0100100
2010-09-29 NYNMIL — 1.0200000
2010-09-28 NYNMIL W 1.0000000
2010-09-26 NYNPHI — 1.0000100
2010-09-25 NYNPHI — 0.2000000
2010-09-24 NYNPHI — 1.0000000
2010-09-21 NYNMIA L 0.1433001
2010-09-19 NYNATL — 0.1000000
2010-09-17 NYNATL — 1.0000000
2010-09-15 NYNPIT — 1.0000000

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Elmer Dessens — Career Fielding Totals by Position
Position G GS PO A E DP
P 441 140 66 174 4 14

Season-by-Season Fielding

Elmer Dessens — Season-by-Season Fielding
Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1996 PIT P 15 3 1 2 0 0
1997 PIT P 3 0 1 1 0 0
1998 PIT P 43 5 4 9 1 0
2000 CIN P 40 16 10 26 0 3
2001 CIN P 34 34 6 26 0 3
2002 CIN P 30 30 12 27 1 3
2003 ARI P 34 30 9 18 0 2
2004 ARI P 38 9 5 12 1 0
2004 LAN P 12 1 0 1 0 0
2005 LAN P 28 7 5 12 0 2
2006 KCA P 43 0 3 11 0 0
2006 LAN P 19 0 0 2 0 0
2007 MIL P 12 0 2 3 0 1
2007 COL P 5 5 0 5 0 0
2008 ATL P 4 0 0 1 0 0
2009 NYN P 28 0 4 6 0 0
2010 NYN P 53 0 4 12 1 0

Career Games by Position

Position Diamond

Circle size = games played at each position.

Elmer Dessens Stats, Bio & Career Records
Position Games
Pitcher 441

Salary History

Elmer Dessens's recorded salaries total $14,289,000 over 9 seasons, 1996 to 2007. This total is partial: the salary data covers 1985 to 2016, and Dessens's career ran from 1996 to 2010. No salary is recorded for 5 of his seasons between 1985 and 2016.

Elmer Dessens — Salary History
Year Team League Salary
2007 MIL NL $1,700,000
2006 KCA AL $1,700,000
2005 LAN NL $1,300,000
2004 ARI NL $4,000,000
2003 ARI NL $3,000,000
2002 CIN NL $1,825,000
2001 CIN NL $475,000
1998 PIT NL $180,000
1996 PIT NL $109,000
Total recorded salary (partial) $14,289,000

Most Similar Players

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

Career Spans

Elmer Dessens (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.

  1. 98
    Chris Hammond
    66-62, 4.14 ERA
  2. 85
    Russ Kemmerer
    43-59, 4.46 ERA
  3. 85
    Zach Duke
    69-91, 4.31 ERA
  4. 80
    Jim Owens
    42-68, 4.31 ERA
  5. 78
    Alfredo Simon
    47-47, 4.56 ERA
  6. 77
    Gene Nelson
    53-64, 4.13 ERA

Elmer Dessens: the record in brief

The profile opens with Elmer Dessens's first major league game on June 24, 1996; the last one listed came on October 2, 2010. Club by club, the record runs the Pittsburgh Pirates (1996 through 1998), the Cincinnati Reds (2000 to 2002), the Arizona Diamondbacks (2003 through 2004), the Los Angeles Dodgers (2004 to 2006), the Kansas City Royals (2006), the Milwaukee Brewers (2007), the Colorado Rockies (2007), and the Atlanta Braves (2008), among other clubs in the table. Dessens, born on January 13, 1971, in Hermosillo, Sonora, México, is listed as a pitcher and threw and hit right-handed. The bio gives 5'11" and 200 pounds.

Across 441 games (140 starts), Dessens recorded 52 wins against 64 losses with a 4.44 ERA. Dessens had 693 strikeouts. Dessens's 4.44 ERA was close to the 4.41 league figure for those seasons. No season topped the 11 wins of 2000. The strikeout high was 128 in 2001. 2002 was Dessens's sharpest full season, a 3.03 ERA against the league's 4.28.

Frequently Asked Questions about Elmer Dessens

What years did Elmer Dessens play?
Elmer Dessens played in Major League Baseball from 1996 to 2010.
Was Elmer Dessens a pitcher?
Yes. Elmer Dessens pitched in the major leagues, recording 52 wins and 693 strikeouts.
How many home runs did Elmer Dessens hit?
Elmer Dessens hit 0 career home runs with 39 hits.
What teams did Elmer Dessens play for?
Elmer Dessens played for 9 teams: the Pittsburgh Pirates (1996–1998), the Cincinnati Reds (2000–2002), the Arizona Diamondbacks (2003–2004), the Los Angeles Dodgers (2004–2006), the Kansas City Royals (2006), the Milwaukee Brewers (2007), the Colorado Rockies (2007), the Atlanta Braves (2008), and the New York Mets (2009–2010).
What were Elmer Dessens's career stats?
In 441 games, Elmer Dessens went 52-64 with a 4.44 ERA, 693 strikeouts, 1,174.1 innings pitched, and 5 saves. At the plate he had 39 hits and 0 home runs.
How much did Elmer Dessens earn in his career?
Elmer Dessens's recorded salaries total $14,289,000 over 9 seasons, 1996 to 2007. This total is partial: the salary data covers 1985 to 2016, and Dessens's career ran from 1996 to 2010. No salary is recorded for 5 of his seasons between 1985 and 2016.
What was Elmer Dessens's salary?
Elmer Dessens's last recorded salary was $1,700,000, in 2007. His highest recorded salary was $4,000,000, in 2004, and his lowest was $109,000, in 1996. The Salary History table lists each season from 1996 to 2007.
What position did Elmer Dessens play?
Elmer Dessens played primarily as a pitcher, the position where he appeared in the most games.
How tall was Elmer Dessens and how much did he weigh?
Elmer Dessens was listed at 5 feet 11 inches and 200 pounds.
What was Elmer Dessens's career ERA?
Elmer Dessens finished with a 4.44 career ERA, going 52-64 with 693 strikeouts.
How many strikeouts did Elmer Dessens have?
Elmer Dessens recorded 693 career strikeouts.
Is Elmer Dessens in the Hall of Fame?
No. Elmer Dessens has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.