What years did Jose Mesa play?

Jose Mesa played in Major League Baseball from 1987 to 2007.

Was Jose Mesa a pitcher?

Yes. Jose Mesa pitched in the major leagues, recording 80 wins and 1038 strikeouts.

How many home runs did Jose Mesa hit?

Jose Mesa hit 0 career home runs.

What teams did Jose Mesa play for?

Jose Mesa played for 8 teams: the Baltimore Orioles (1987, 1990–1992), the Cleveland Indians (1992–1998), the San Francisco Giants (1998), the Seattle Mariners (1999–2000), the Philadelphia Phillies (2001–2003, 2007), the Pittsburgh Pirates (2004–2005), the Colorado Rockies (2006), and the Detroit Tigers (2007).

Did Jose Mesa win a Cy Young Award?

No. Jose Mesa did not win the Cy Young Award.

What awards did Jose Mesa win?

Jose Mesa was selected to 2 All-Star Games.

What were Jose Mesa's career stats?

In 1,022 games, Jose Mesa went 80-109 with a 4.36 ERA, 1,038 strikeouts, 1,548.2 innings pitched, and 321 saves.

What was Jose Mesa's salary?

Jose Mesa's last recorded salary was $2,500,000, in 2007. His highest recorded salary was $5,200,000, in 2003, and his lowest was $62,500, in 1988. The Salary History table lists each season from 1988 to 2007.

What position did Jose Mesa play?

Jose Mesa played primarily as a pitcher, the position where he appeared in the most games.

How tall was Jose Mesa and how much did he weigh?

Jose Mesa was listed at 6 feet 3 inches and 170 pounds.

What was Jose Mesa's career ERA?

Jose Mesa finished with a 4.36 career ERA, going 80-109 with 1,038 strikeouts.

How many strikeouts did Jose Mesa have?

Jose Mesa recorded 1,038 career strikeouts.

Is Jose Mesa in the Hall of Fame?

No. Jose Mesa has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.

Jose Mesa

Pitcher · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1987-2007)

Jose Mesa was a pitcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1987 to 2007 for 8 teams, including the Baltimore Orioles, a span of 21 seasons. Across 1,022 career appearances, he went 80-109 with a 4.36 ERA, 1,038 strikeouts, and 321 saves. Jose Mesa was a 2-time All-Star and a Reliever of the Year.

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 October 24, 2026

W–L 80–109

ERA 4.36

WHIP 1.47

SO 1,038

Pitcher PIV -373.5

Position: Pitcher
Bats / Throws: R / R
Height / Weight: 6'3" / 170 lb
Born: 5/22/1966 in Pueblo Viejo, Azua, D.R.
MLB Debut: 1987-09-10
Last Game: 2007-09-29
Awards: 2× All-Star · Reliever of the Year

Full name: Jose Ramon Nova Mesa

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Career Pitching Statistics

Jose Mesa — Career Pitching Statistics
W	L	G	GS	CG	SHO	SV	IP	H	ER	HR	BB	SO	ERA	Pitcher PIV
80	109	1,022	95	6	2	321	1548.2	1,629	750	151	651	1,038	4.36	-373.5

Career ERA 4.36 vs. league average 4.36 across their career seasons — near league average.

Season-by-Season Pitching

Pitching Career Arc

Click a stat to plot it across every season.

Jose Mesa Stats, Bio & Career Records
Year	Team	Lg	W	L	G	GS	CG	SHO	SV	IP	H	ER	BB	SO	ERA	Lg ERA	Pitcher PIV
1987	BAL	AL	1	3	6	5	0	0	0	31.1	38	21	15	17	6.03	4.29 (-40%)	-1435.7
1990	BAL	AL	3	2	7	7	0	0	0	46.2	37	20	27	24	3.86	3.86 (avg)	-321.5
1991	BAL	AL	6	11	23	23	2	1	0	123.2	151	82	62	64	5.97	3.91 (-53%)	-1986.7
1992	BAL	AL	3	8	13	12	0	0	0	67.2	77	39	27	22	5.19	3.75 (-38%)	-2372.1
1992	CLE	AL	4	4	15	15	1	1	0	93.0	92	43	43	40	4.16	3.75 (-11%)	-762.6
1993	CLE	AL	10	12	34	33	3	0	0	208.2	232	114	62	118	4.92	4.19 (-17%)	179.2
1994	CLE	AL	7	5	51	0	0	0	2	73.0	71	31	26	63	3.82	4.51 (+15%)	2557.5
1995	CLE	AL	3	0	62	0	0	0	46	64.0	49	8	17	58	1.12	4.45 (+75%)	2843.4
1996	CLE	AL	2	7	69	0	0	0	39	72.1	69	30	28	64	3.73	4.61 (+19%)	1550.6
1997	CLE	AL	4	4	66	0	0	0	16	82.1	83	22	28	69	2.40	4.39 (+45%)	1510.3
1998	CLE	AL	3	4	44	0	0	0	1	54.0	61	31	20	35	5.17	4.43 (-17%)	-580.1
1998	SFN	NL	5	3	32	0	0	0	0	30.2	30	12	18	28	3.52	4.43 (+21%)	720.4
1999	SEA	AL	3	6	68	0	0	0	33	68.2	84	38	40	42	4.98	4.71 (-6%)	-2072.1
2000	SEA	AL	4	6	66	0	0	0	1	80.2	89	48	41	84	5.36	4.77 (-12%)	480.9
2001	PHI	NL	3	3	71	0	0	0	42	69.1	65	18	20	59	2.34	4.42 (+47%)	2405.7
2002	PHI	NL	4	6	74	0	0	0	45	75.2	65	25	39	64	2.97	4.28 (+31%)	852.5
2003	PHI	NL	5	7	61	0	0	0	24	58.0	71	42	31	45	6.52	4.40 (-48%)	-441.1
2004	PIT	NL	5	2	70	0	0	0	43	69.1	78	25	20	37	3.25	4.46 (+27%)	789.5
2005	PIT	NL	2	8	55	0	0	0	27	56.2	61	30	26	37	4.76	4.29 (-11%)	-799.5
2006	COL	NL	1	5	79	0	0	0	1	72.1	73	31	36	39	3.86	4.53 (+15%)	-1554.3
2007	DET	AL	1	1	16	0	0	0	0	11.2	19	16	6	9	12.34	4.47 (-176%)	-615.2
2007	PHI	NL	1	2	40	0	0	0	1	39.0	34	24	19	20	5.54	4.47 (-24%)	-1322.3
Career · 22 seasons			80	109	1,022	95	6	2	321	1,548.2	1,629	750	651	1,038	4.36	—	-374

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

Jose Mesa — Career Batting Statistics
G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	AVG	OBP	SLG	OPS	PIV
1,023	2	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	1	.000	.333	.000	.333	0

Career AVG .000 vs. league average .265 across their career seasons — 100.0% below league average.

Career OBP .333 vs. league average .334 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career SLG .000 vs. league average .417 across their career seasons — 100.0% below league average.

Career OPS .333 vs. league average .751 across their career seasons — 55.6% below league average.

Season-by-Season Batting

Career Arc

Click a stat to plot it across every season.

Jose Mesa Stats, Bio & Career Records
Year	Team	Lg	G	AB	R	BB	SO	AVG	Lg AVG	Lg OBP	Lg SLG	Lg OPS	PIV
1987	BAL	AL	6	0	0	0	0	.000	—	—	—	—	0.0
1990	BAL	AL	7	0	0	0	0	.000	—	—	—	—	0.0
1991	BAL	AL	24	0	0	0	0	.000	—	—	—	—	0.0
1992	BAL	AL	13	0	0	0	0	.000	—	—	—	—	0.0
1992	CLE	AL	15	0	0	0	0	.000	—	—	—	—	0.0
1993	CLE	AL	34	0	0	0	0	.000	—	—	—	—	0.0
1994	CLE	AL	51	0	0	0	0	.000	—	—	—	—	0.0
1995	CLE	AL	62	0	0	0	0	.000	—	—	—	—	0.0
1996	CLE	AL	69	0	0	0	0	.000	—	—	—	—	0.0
1997	CLE	AL	66	0	0	0	0	.000	—	—	—	—	0.0
1998	CLE	AL	44	0	0	0	0	.000	—	—	—	—	0.0
1998	SFN	NL	32	0	1	1	0	.000	—	—	—	—	0.0
1999	SEA	AL	68	0	0	0	0	.000	—	—	—	—	0.0
2000	SEA	AL	66	0	0	0	0	.000	—	—	—	—	0.0
2001	PHI	NL	71	0	0	0	0	.000	—	—	—	—	0.0
2002	PHI	NL	74	0	0	0	0	.000	—	—	—	—	0.0
2003	PHI	NL	61	0	0	0	0	.000	—	—	—	—	0.0
2004	PIT	NL	70	0	0	0	0	.000	—	—	—	—	0.0
2005	PIT	NL	55	1	0	0	1	.000	—	—	—	—	0.0
2006	COL	NL	79	1	0	0	0	.000	—	—	—	—	0.0
2007	DET	AL	16	0	0	0	0	.000	—	—	—	—	0.0
2007	PHI	NL	40	0	0	0	0	.000	—	—	—	—	0.0
Career · 22 seasons			1,023	2	1	1	1	.000	—	—	—	—	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

Jose Mesa — Playoff Career Batting
G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	AVG
27	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.000

Playoff Batting by Year

Jose Mesa — Playoff Batting by Year
Year	Round	Team	G	AVG
2007	NLDS2	PHI	1	.000
2000	ALCS	SEA	3	.000
2000	ALDS2	SEA	2	.000
1997	ALCS	CLE	4	.000
1997	ALDS1	CLE	2	.000
1997	WS	CLE	5	.000
1996	ALDS1	CLE	2	.000
1995	ALCS	CLE	4	.000
1995	ALDS1	CLE	2	.000
1995	WS	CLE	2	.000

Playoff Career Pitching

Jose Mesa — Playoff Career Pitching
W	L	G	GS	SV	IP	H	ER	BB	SO	ERA
3	1	27	0	6	35.0	42	20	15	29	5.14

Playoff Pitching by Year

Jose Mesa — Playoff Pitching by Year
Year	Round	Team	W	L	G	SV	IP	H	ER	BB	SO	ERA
2007	NLDS2	PHI	0	0	1	0	0.1	1	3	2	0	81.00
2000	ALCS	SEA	0	0	3	0	4.1	5	6	3	3	12.46
2000	ALDS2	SEA	1	0	2	0	2.0	0	0	1	2	0.00
1997	ALCS	CLE	1	0	4	2	5.1	5	2	3	5	3.38
1997	ALDS1	CLE	0	0	2	1	3.1	5	1	1	2	2.70
1997	WS	CLE	0	0	5	1	5.0	10	3	1	5	5.40
1996	ALDS1	CLE	0	1	2	0	4.2	8	2	0	7	3.86
1995	ALCS	CLE	0	0	4	1	4.0	3	1	1	1	2.25
1995	ALDS1	CLE	0	0	2	0	2.0	0	0	2	0	0.00
1995	WS	CLE	1	0	2	1	4.0	5	2	1	4	4.50

Game Log & Splits

View full game log (2043 games) →

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

Batting — Home / Away

Jose Mesa — Batting — Home / Away
Split	G	AB	R	H	HR	RBI	AVG
Home	532	2	0	0	0	0	.000
Away	490	0	1	0	0	0	—

Pitching — Home / Away

Jose Mesa — Pitching — Home / Away
Split	G	IP	H	ER	BB	SO	ERA
Home	531	805.1	801	376	333	562	4.20
Away	490	742.2	826	373	318	476	4.52

Last 10 Games — Pitching

Jose Mesa — Last 10 Games — Pitching
Date	Tm	Opp	Dec	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	HR
2007-09-29	PHI	WAS	—	0.2	0	0	0	0	0	0
2007-09-25	PHI	ATL	—	1.0	0	0	0	0	0	0
2007-09-18	PHI	STL	W	2.0	0	0	0	1	2	0
2007-09-17	PHI	STL	—	1.0	1	1	1	0	0	0
2007-09-13	PHI	COL	—	1.0	0	0	0	0	1	0
2007-09-12	PHI	COL	—	1.0	2	1	1	0	2	0
2007-09-10	PHI	COL	—	0.0	1	2	2	1	0	1
2007-09-07	PHI	MIA	—	1.0	0	0	0	0	1	0
2007-09-01	PHI	MIA	—	2.0	3	2	2	1	1	0
2007-08-30	PHI	NYN	—	0.2	0	0	0	1	0	0

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Jose Mesa — Career Fielding Totals by Position
Position	G	GS	PO	A	E	DP
P	1022	95	112	197	17	11

Season-by-Season Fielding

Jose Mesa — Season-by-Season Fielding
Year	Team	Pos	G	GS	PO	A	E	DP
1987	BAL	P	6	5	1	1	0	0
1990	BAL	P	7	7	3	5	1	1
1991	BAL	P	23	23	17	17	0	0
1992	BAL	P	13	12	8	9	1	0
1992	CLE	P	15	15	4	12	1	0
1993	CLE	P	34	33	15	29	3	0
1994	CLE	P	51	0	3	11	2	0
1995	CLE	P	62	0	6	10	1	0
1996	CLE	P	69	0	5	3	1	1
1997	CLE	P	66	0	5	7	1	2
1998	CLE	P	44	0	4	10	1	1
1998	SFN	P	32	0	1	1	1	0
1999	SEA	P	68	0	11	7	1	2
2000	SEA	P	66	0	7	8	0	0
2001	PHI	P	71	0	4	9	0	0
2002	PHI	P	74	0	4	16	0	0
2003	PHI	P	61	0	4	2	1	0
2004	PIT	P	70	0	4	11	0	1
2005	PIT	P	55	0	2	13	1	1
2006	COL	P	79	0	2	11	1	2
2007	DET	P	16	0	0	1	0	0
2007	PHI	P	40	0	2	4	0	0

Career Games by Position

Position Diamond

Circle size = games played at each position.

Jose Mesa Stats, Bio & Career Records
Position	Games
Pitcher	1022

Awards & Honors

Jose Mesa — Awards & Honors
Year	Award	Notes
2005	Reliever of the Month	April
2001	Player of the Week	Week of 2001-09-22
1995	Player of the Week	Week of 1995-08-19
1995	Reliever of the Year Award
1995	TSN Fireman of the Year

Salary History

Jose Mesa's recorded salaries total $34,596,169 over 18 seasons, 1988 to 2007. This total is partial: the salary data covers 1985 to 2016, and Mesa's career ran from 1987 to 2007. No salary is recorded for 1987 and 1990.

Jose Mesa — Salary History
Year	Team	League	Salary
2007	DET	AL	$2,500,000
2006	COL	NL	$2,000,000
2005	PIT	NL	$2,000,000
2004	PIT	NL	$800,000
2003	PHI	NL	$5,200,000
2002	PHI	NL	$4,200,000
2001	PHI	NL	$2,900,000
2000	SEA	AL	$3,950,000
1999	SEA	AL	$2,850,000
1998	CLE	AL	$1,700,000
1997	CLE	AL	$1,947,223
1996	CLE	AL	$1,872,223
1995	CLE	AL	$1,447,223
1994	CLE	AL	$600,000
1993	CLE	AL	$325,000
1992	CLE	AL	$135,000
1991	BAL	AL	$107,000
1988	BAL	AL	$62,500
Total recorded salary (partial)			$34,596,169

Award Voting History

Jose Mesa — Award Voting History
Year	Award	League	Finish	Points Won	Points Max	Votes First
1995	Cy Young Award	AL	2nd	54.0	140	2
1995	Most Valuable Player	AL	4th	130.0	392	1

Most Similar Players

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

Career Spans

Jose Mesa (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.

Jose Mesa: the record in brief

Between the debut on September 10, 1987 and the final game on September 29, 2007, Jose Mesa built the record summarized on this page. The team column moves through the Baltimore Orioles (1987 to 1992), the Cleveland Indians (1992 to 1998), the San Francisco Giants (1998), the Seattle Mariners (1999 through 2000), the Philadelphia Phillies (2001 to 2007), the Pittsburgh Pirates (2004 to 2005), the Colorado Rockies (2006), and the Detroit Tigers (2007). Mesa, born on May 22, 1966, in Pueblo Viejo, Azua, D.R., is listed as a pitcher and both batted and threw right-handed. The bio gives 6-foot-3 and 170 pounds. Jose Mesa was the playing name; the full given name is Jose Ramon Nova.

The pitching table credits Mesa with a 80-109 record and a 4.36 ERA in 1,022 games. Also on Mesa's record: 1,038 strikeouts and 321 saves. Mesa's 4.36 ERA was close to the 4.36 league figure for those seasons. 1993 brought Mesa a season-high 10 wins.

Frequently Asked Questions about Jose Mesa

What years did Jose Mesa play?: Jose Mesa played in Major League Baseball from 1987 to 2007.
Was Jose Mesa a pitcher?: Yes. Jose Mesa pitched in the major leagues, recording 80 wins and 1038 strikeouts.
How many home runs did Jose Mesa hit?: Jose Mesa hit 0 career home runs.
What teams did Jose Mesa play for?: Jose Mesa played for 8 teams: the Baltimore Orioles (1987, 1990–1992), the Cleveland Indians (1992–1998), the San Francisco Giants (1998), the Seattle Mariners (1999–2000), the Philadelphia Phillies (2001–2003, 2007), the Pittsburgh Pirates (2004–2005), the Colorado Rockies (2006), and the Detroit Tigers (2007).
Did Jose Mesa win a Cy Young Award?: No. Jose Mesa did not win the Cy Young Award.
What awards did Jose Mesa win?: Jose Mesa was selected to 2 All-Star Games.
What were Jose Mesa's career stats?: In 1,022 games, Jose Mesa went 80-109 with a 4.36 ERA, 1,038 strikeouts, 1,548.2 innings pitched, and 321 saves.
How much did Jose Mesa earn in his career?: Jose Mesa's recorded salaries total $34,596,169 over 18 seasons, 1988 to 2007. This total is partial: the salary data covers 1985 to 2016, and Mesa's career ran from 1987 to 2007. No salary is recorded for 1987 and 1990.
What was Jose Mesa's salary?: Jose Mesa's last recorded salary was $2,500,000, in 2007. His highest recorded salary was $5,200,000, in 2003, and his lowest was $62,500, in 1988. The Salary History table lists each season from 1988 to 2007.
What position did Jose Mesa play?: Jose Mesa played primarily as a pitcher, the position where he appeared in the most games.
How tall was Jose Mesa and how much did he weigh?: Jose Mesa was listed at 6 feet 3 inches and 170 pounds.
What was Jose Mesa's career ERA?: Jose Mesa finished with a 4.36 career ERA, going 80-109 with 1,038 strikeouts.
How many strikeouts did Jose Mesa have?: Jose Mesa recorded 1,038 career strikeouts.
Is Jose Mesa in the Hall of Fame?: No. Jose Mesa has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.