Ricky Nelson

Outfielder · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1983-1986)

Ricky Nelson was an outfielder who played in Major League Baseball from 1983 to 1986 for the Seattle Mariners, a span of 4 seasons. In 123 career games, he hit .247 with 79 hits, 6 home runs, and 39 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

AVG .247
HR 6
RBI 39
H 79
OPS .651
PIV -358
Position
Outfielder
Bats / Throws
L / R
Height / Weight
6'0" / 200 lb
Born
5/8/1959 in Eloy, AZ, USA
Died
11/19/2021 in Phoenix, AZ, USA
MLB Debut
1983-05-17
Last Game
1986-08-02

Full name: Ricky Lee Nelson

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Career Batting Statistics

Ricky Nelson — Career Batting Statistics
G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
123 320 38 79 13 3 6 39 8 19 59 .247 .288 .362 .651 -358

Career AVG .247 vs. league average .259 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career OBP .288 vs. league average .324 across their career seasons — 11.1% below league average.

Career SLG .362 vs. league average .390 across their career seasons — 7.1% below league average.

Career OPS .651 vs. league average .714 across their career seasons — 8.9% below league average.

Season-by-Season Batting

Career Arc

Click a stat to plot it across every season.

Ricky Nelson — 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
1983 SEA AL 98 291 32 74 13 3 5 36 7 17 50 .254 .260 (-3%) .324 (-9%) .389 (-5%) .714 (-7%) -358.1
1984 SEA AL 9 15 2 3 0 0 1 2 0 2 4 .200 — — — — 0.0
1985 SEA AL 6 2 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 .000 — — — — 0.0
1986 SEA AL 10 12 2 2 0 0 0 1 1 0 4 .167 — — — — 0.0
Career · 4 seasons 123 320 38 79 13 3 6 39 8 19 59 .247 — — — — -358

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 (123 games) →

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

Batting — Home / Away

Ricky Nelson — Batting — Home / Away
SplitGABRHHRRBIAVG
Home631751839115.223
Away601452040524.276

Last 10 Games — Batting

Ricky Nelson — Last 10 Games — Batting
DateTmOppResABRH2B3BHRRBIBBSO
1986-08-02 SEALAAW 000000000
1986-07-28 SEAMINL 100000001
1986-07-22 SEATORW 000000000
1986-07-20 SEABOSW 110000000
1986-07-12 SEAMILW 200000002
1986-07-09 SEATORL 401000000
1986-07-07 SEATORL 100000000
1986-07-06 SEABOSL 100000000
1986-07-01 SEAKCRW 111000100
1986-06-26 SEATEXL 100000001

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Ricky Nelson — Career Fielding Totals by Position
Position G GS PO A E DP
OF 97 75 127 10 5 1

Season-by-Season Fielding

Ricky Nelson — Season-by-Season Fielding
Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1983 SEA OF 91 75 122 10 4 1
1984 SEA OF 2 0 2 0 0 0
1985 SEA OF 3 0 1 0 0 0
1986 SEA OF 1 0 2 0 1 0

Career Games by Position

Position Diamond

Circle size = games played at each position.

Ricky Nelson — Career Games by Position
Position Games
Left Field 47
Center Field 1
Right Field 55
Designated Hitter 8

College History

Ricky Nelson — College History
School Name City State Years Attended
Arizona State University Tempe AZ 1979, 1980, 1981

Ricky Nelson: the record in brief

The profile opens with Ricky Nelson's first major league game on May 17, 1983; the last one listed came on August 2, 1986. The team column never changes: it is the Seattle Mariners from 1983 to 1986. At 6'0" and 200 pounds, Nelson is listed as an outfielder. Nelson threw right-handed and batted left-handed, per the bio block. The recorded birth is May 8, 1959, in Eloy, AZ, USA. Nelson died on November 19, 2021, in Phoenix, AZ, USA. Ricky Nelson was the playing name; the full given name is Ricky Lee.

The batting record for Nelson: 123 games, 79 hits in 320 at bats, and a .247 average, plus 6 homers and 39 runs batted in. Nelson got on base at a .288 rate and slugged .362 (.651 OPS). The .247 career average is close to the .259 the league hit across the same seasons. In OPS terms, Nelson's .651 stands 8.9% below the league's .714. No season topped the 74 hits of 1983. Even the best average among the busiest seasons, .254 in 1983, did not top the league's .260.

Frequently Asked Questions about Ricky Nelson

What years did Ricky Nelson play?
Ricky Nelson played in Major League Baseball from 1983 to 1986.
Was Ricky Nelson a pitcher?
No. Ricky Nelson was a position player (Outfielder).
How many home runs did Ricky Nelson hit?
Ricky Nelson hit 6 career home runs with 79 hits.
What teams did Ricky Nelson play for?
Ricky Nelson played for one team, the Seattle Mariners (1983–1986).
What were Ricky Nelson's career stats?
In 123 games, Ricky Nelson had 79 hits, 6 home runs, 39 RBI, 38 runs, and 8 stolen bases, with a .247 batting average.
What position did Ricky Nelson play?
Ricky Nelson played primarily as an outfielder, the position where he appeared in the most games.
How tall was Ricky Nelson and how much did he weigh?
Ricky Nelson was listed at 6 feet and 200 pounds.
How many home runs did Ricky Nelson hit each season?
Ricky Nelson's home runs by season: 5 in 1983, 1 in 1984, 0 in 1985, and 0 in 1986. His most in one season was 5, in 1983.
What was Ricky Nelson's career batting average?
Ricky Nelson batted .247 over his career, with 79 hits in 320 at bats.
How many RBI did Ricky Nelson have?
Ricky Nelson drove in 39 runs in his career.
Is Ricky Nelson in the Hall of Fame?
No. Ricky Nelson has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.