Rob Nelson
First Baseman · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1986-1990)
Rob Nelson was a first baseman who played in Major League Baseball from 1986 to 1990 for the Athletics and the San Diego Padres, a span of 5 seasons. In 76 career games, he hit .178 with 27 hits, 4 home runs, and 11 RBI. His career PIV — Baseball Data Hub's era-adjusted measure of offensive impact — is 53.
- 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
- First Baseman
- Bats / Throws
- L / L
- Height / Weight
- 6'4" / 215 lb
- MLB Debut
- 1986-09-09
- Last Game
- 1990-04-29
Full name: Robert Augustus Nelson
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 76 | 152 | 12 | 27 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 11 | 1 | 24 | 66 | .178 | .290 | .283 | .573 | 53 |
Career AVG .178 vs. league average .257 across their career seasons — 31.0% below league average.
Career OBP .290 vs. league average .324 across their career seasons — 10.5% below league average.
Career SLG .283 vs. league average .390 across their career seasons — 27.4% below league average.
Career OPS .573 vs. league average .714 across their career seasons — 19.8% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1986 | OAK | AL | 5 | 9 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 | .222 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1987 | OAK | AL | 7 | 24 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12 | .167 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1987 | SDN | NL | 10 | 11 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 8 | .091 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1988 | SDN | NL | 7 | 21 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 9 | .190 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1989 | SDN | NL | 42 | 82 | 6 | 16 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 7 | 1 | 20 | 29 | .195 | .254 (-23%) | .319 (+10%) | .375 (-12%) | .694 (-2%) | 53.1 |
| 1990 | SDN | NL | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| Career · 6 seasons | 76 | 152 | 12 | 27 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 11 | 1 | 24 | 66 | .178 | — | — | — | — | 53 | ||
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 (76 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 36 | 66 | 4 | 12 | 2 | 5 | .182 |
| Away | 40 | 86 | 8 | 15 | 2 | 6 | .174 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990-04-29 | SDP | PIT | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1990-04-28 | SDP | PIT | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1990-04-23 | SDP | SFG | W | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1990-04-12 | SDP | LAD | W | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1990-04-09 | SDP | LAD | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1989-07-20 | SDP | STL | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1989-07-19 | SDP | PIT | W | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1989-07-18 | SDP | PIT | W | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1989-07-13 | SDP | CHC | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1989-07-09 | SDP | PIT | W | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
Season-by-Season Fielding
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| First Base | 47 |
| Designated Hitter | 1 |
Salary History
| Year | Team | League | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | SDN | NL | $100,000 |
| Total Career Earnings | $100,000 | ||
College History
| School Name | City | State | Years Attended |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mount San Antonio College | Walnut | CA | 1983 |
Rob Nelson: the record in brief
According to the bio, Rob Nelson debuted on September 9, 1986 and played a final game on April 29, 1990. Club by club, the record runs the Oakland Athletics (1986 to 1987) and the San Diego Padres (1987 to 1990). Listed as a first baseman, Nelson both batted and threw left-handed. Height and weight on file: 215 pounds on a 6-foot-4 frame. The birth record reads May 17, 1964, in Pasadena, CA, USA. Rob Nelson was the playing name; the full given name is Robert Augustus.
In 76 games and 152 at bats, Nelson batted .178 with 27 hits; the totals also include 4 home runs and 11 runs batted in. Reaching base at a .290 clip and slugging .283, Nelson finished with a .573 OPS. Set against a .257 league average for the same years, Nelson's .178 average sits 31.0% below it. By OPS the gap is 19.8% below league average (.573 against .714). The highest hit total in a season was 16, in 1989.
Frequently Asked Questions about Rob Nelson
- What years did Rob Nelson play?
- Rob Nelson played in Major League Baseball from 1986 to 1990.
- Was Rob Nelson a pitcher?
- No. Rob Nelson was a position player (First Baseman).
- How many home runs did Rob Nelson hit?
- Rob Nelson hit 4 career home runs with 27 hits.
- What was Rob Nelson's career batting average?
- Rob Nelson batted .178 over his career, with 27 hits in 152 at bats.
- How many RBI did Rob Nelson have?
- Rob Nelson drove in 11 runs in his career.
- Is Rob Nelson in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Rob Nelson has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.