Nelson Mathews
Outfielder · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1960-1965)
Nelson Mathews was an outfielder who played in Major League Baseball from 1960 to 1965 for the Chicago Cubs and the Kansas City Athletics, a span of 6 seasons. In 306 career games, he hit .223 with 218 hits, 22 home runs, and 98 RBI.
- AVG (Batting Average):
- Hits divided by at bats. .300 is the traditional mark of an excellent hitter.
- HR (Home Runs):
- Hits on which the batter circled the bases and scored, almost always by clearing the outfield fence.
- RBI (Runs Batted In):
- Runs that scored as a direct result of a batter's plate appearance.
- OPS (On-Base Plus Slugging):
- On-base percentage plus slugging percentage, the quickest single summary of offensive value. .900 or better is star-level.
Data updated
- Position
- Outfielder
- Bats / Throws
- R / R
- Height / Weight
- 6'4" / 195 lb
- MLB Debut
- 1960-09-09
- Last Game
- 1965-07-18
Full name: Nelson Elmer Mathews
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 306 | 978 | 93 | 218 | 39 | 14 | 22 | 98 | 8 | 88 | 248 | .223 | .288 | .359 | .647 | -863 |
Career AVG .223 vs. league average .252 across their career seasons — 11.5% below league average.
Career OBP .288 vs. league average .318 across their career seasons — 9.4% below league average.
Career SLG .359 vs. league average .383 across their career seasons — 6.3% below league average.
Career OPS .647 vs. league average .701 across their career seasons — 7.7% below league average.
Season-by-Season Batting
Click a stat to plot it across every season.
| Year | Team | Lg | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | Lg AVG | Lg OBP | Lg SLG | Lg OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960 | CHN | NL | 3 | 8 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | .250 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1961 | CHN | NL | 3 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | .111 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1962 | CHN | NL | 15 | 49 | 5 | 15 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 13 | 3 | 5 | 4 | .306 | — | — | — | — | 181.4 |
| 1963 | CHN | NL | 61 | 155 | 12 | 24 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 10 | 3 | 16 | 48 | .155 | .246 (-37%) | .308 (-24%) | .371 (-25%) | .680 (-25%) | -589.4 |
| 1964 | KC1 | AL | 157 | 573 | 58 | 137 | 27 | 5 | 14 | 60 | 2 | 43 | 143 | .239 | .250 (-5%) | .312 (-6%) | .377 (avg) | .690 (-3%) | -328.2 |
| 1965 | KC1 | AL | 67 | 184 | 17 | 39 | 7 | 7 | 2 | 15 | 0 | 24 | 49 | .212 | .245 (-14%) | .310 (-4%) | .371 (-3%) | .682 (-4%) | -126.8 |
| Career · 6 seasons | 306 | 978 | 93 | 218 | 39 | 14 | 22 | 98 | 8 | 88 | 248 | .223 | — | — | — | — | -863 | ||
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.
Game Log & Splits
View full game log (306 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 152 | 478 | 48 | 107 | 15 | 56 | .224 |
| Away | 154 | 500 | 45 | 111 | 7 | 42 | .222 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1965-07-18 | KC1 | CHW | W | 4 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 1965-07-18 | KC1 | CHW | L | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1965-07-17 | KC1 | MIN | W | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1965-07-16 | KC1 | MIN | W | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| 1965-07-15 | KC1 | MIN | W | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 1965-07-15 | KC1 | MIN | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1965-07-11 | KC1 | DET | L | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1965-07-09 | KC1 | DET | L | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 1965-07-08 | KC1 | BAL | L | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1965-07-07 | KC1 | BAL | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
Season-by-Season Fielding
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Left Field | 25 |
| Center Field | 241 |
| Right Field | 11 |
Nelson Mathews: the record in brief
Nelson Mathews's major league career runs from a debut on September 9, 1960 to a final game on July 18, 1965. The team column moves through the Chicago Cubs (1960 through 1963) and the Kansas City Athletics (1964 to 1965). Mathews is listed as an outfielder at 6'4" and 195 pounds. Mathews both batted and threw right-handed, per the bio block. The recorded birth is July 21, 1941, in Columbia, IL, USA. Mathews's full given name, per the bio, is Nelson Elmer Mathews.
Mathews collected 218 hits in 978 at bats across 306 games, good for a .223 batting average, plus 22 homers and 98 runs batted in. On-base and slugging figures of .288 and .359 give Mathews a career OPS of .647. The league as a whole hit .252 across Mathews's seasons, which puts the .223 career mark 11.5% below average. By OPS the gap is 7.7% below league average (.647 against .701). No season beat the 14 home runs Mathews hit in 1964. Mathews collected a career-high 137 hits in 1964. Even the best average among the busiest seasons, .239 in 1964, did not top the league's .250.
Frequently Asked Questions about Nelson Mathews
- What years did Nelson Mathews play?
- Nelson Mathews played in Major League Baseball from 1960 to 1965.
- Was Nelson Mathews a pitcher?
- No. Nelson Mathews was a position player (Outfielder).
- How many home runs did Nelson Mathews hit?
- Nelson Mathews hit 22 career home runs with 218 hits.
- What was Nelson Mathews's career batting average?
- Nelson Mathews batted .223 over his career, with 218 hits in 978 at bats.
- How many RBI did Nelson Mathews have?
- Nelson Mathews drove in 98 runs in his career.
- Is Nelson Mathews in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Nelson Mathews has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.