Scott Nielsen

Pitcher · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1986-1989)

Scott Nielsen was a pitcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1986 to 1989 for the New York Yankees and the Chicago White Sox, a span of 4 seasons. Across 38 career appearances, he went 9-11 with a 5.49 ERA and 47 strikeouts.

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 9–11
ERA 5.49
WHIP 1.61
SO 47
Pitcher PIV -5559.7
Position
Pitcher
Bats / Throws
R / R
Height / Weight
6'1" / 190 lb
Born
12/18/1958 in Salt Lake City, UT, USA
MLB Debut
1986-07-07
Last Game
1989-06-14

Full name: Jeffrey Scott Nielsen

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Career Pitching Statistics

Scott Nielsen — Career Pitching Statistics
W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER HR BB SO ERA Pitcher PIV
9 11 38 18 3 3 2 142.2 178 87 26 51 47 5.49 -5559.7

Career ERA 5.49 vs. league average 3.93 across their career seasons — 39.7% worse than league average.

Season-by-Season Pitching

Pitching Career Arc

Click a stat to plot it across every season.

Scott Nielsen — Season-by-Season Pitching
Year Team Lg W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER BB SO ERA Lg ERA Pitcher PIV
1986 NYA AL 4 4 10 9 2 2 0 56.0 66 25 12 20 4.02 3.97 (-1%) -2267.9
1987 CHA AL 3 5 19 7 1 1 2 66.1 83 46 25 23 6.24 4.29 (-45%) -1366.1
1988 NYA AL 1 2 7 2 0 0 0 19.2 27 15 13 4 6.86 3.73 (-84%) -1925.7
1989 NYA AL 1 0 2 0 0 0 0 0.2 2 1 1 0 13.50 — 0.0
Career · 4 seasons 9 11 38 18 3 3 2 142.2 178 87 51 47 5.49 — -5,560

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

Scott Nielsen — Career Batting Statistics
G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
38 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 .000 .000 .000 0

Season-by-Season Batting

Career Arc

Click a stat to plot it across every season.

Scott Nielsen — 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
1986 NYA AL 10 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
1987 CHA AL 19 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
1988 NYA AL 7 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
1989 NYA AL 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
Career · 4 seasons 38 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 — — — — — 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.

Game Log & Splits

View full game log (76 games) →

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

Batting — Home / Away

Scott Nielsen — Batting — Home / Away
SplitGABRHHRRBIAVG
Home1900000—
Away1900000—

Pitching — Home / Away

Scott Nielsen — Pitching — Home / Away
SplitGIPHERBBSOERA
Home1970.2924923206.24
Away1972.0863828274.75

Last 10 Games — Pitching

Scott Nielsen — Last 10 Games — Pitching
DateTmOppDecIPHRERBBSOHR
1989-06-14 NYYBAL — 0.1211100
1989-06-11 NYYBOS W 0.1000000
1988-09-07 NYYCLE — 0.2200000
1988-09-04 NYYOAK — 2.1544212
1988-08-29 NYYSEA L 3.1755212
1988-08-24 NYYOAK — 7.1633301
1988-08-20 NYYSEA L 3.1543620
1988-08-17 NYYLAA W 2.0200000
1988-08-14 NYYMIN — 0.2000000
1987-09-12 CHWSEA — 1.2766101

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Scott Nielsen — Career Fielding Totals by Position
Position G GS PO A E DP
P 38 18 4 19 2 4

Season-by-Season Fielding

Scott Nielsen — Season-by-Season Fielding
Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1986 NYA P 10 9 0 5 0 2
1987 CHA P 19 7 4 9 2 0
1988 NYA P 7 2 0 5 0 2
1989 NYA P 2 0 0 0 0 0

Career Games by Position

Position Diamond

Circle size = games played at each position.

Scott Nielsen — Career Games by Position
Position Games
Pitcher 38

College History

Scott Nielsen — College History
School Name City State Years Attended
Brigham Young University Provo UT 1977, 1978, 1981, 1982, 1983

Scott Nielsen: the record in brief

The profile opens with Scott Nielsen's first major league game on July 7, 1986; the last one listed came on June 14, 1989. Nielsen played for the New York Yankees (1986 to 1989) and the Chicago White Sox (1987). Born on December 18, 1958, in Salt Lake City, UT, USA, Nielsen is listed as a pitcher and threw and hit right-handed. The bio gives 6-foot-1 and 190 pounds. Nielsen's full given name, per the bio, is Jeffrey Scott Nielsen.

Nielsen's career pitching line is 9 wins, 11 losses and a 5.49 ERA over 38 appearances. Also on Nielsen's record: 47 strikeouts. The league ERA over Nielsen's seasons was 3.93, so the 5.49 figure ran 39.7% worse than average. 1986 was Nielsen's sharpest full season, a 4.02 ERA against the league's 3.97.

Nielsen appears at one position only: pitcher, in 38 games. On the mound, Nielsen's fielding totals are 4 putouts, 19 assists and 2 errors.

Before the majors, Nielsen played college baseball at Brigham Young University (1977, 1978, 1981, 1982, and 1983). Nielsen's game-by-game log, linked below the splits, holds 76 games from Retrosheet.

Frequently Asked Questions about Scott Nielsen

What years did Scott Nielsen play?
Scott Nielsen played in Major League Baseball from 1986 to 1989.
Was Scott Nielsen a pitcher?
Yes. Scott Nielsen pitched in the major leagues, recording 9 wins and 47 strikeouts.
What teams did Scott Nielsen play for?
Scott Nielsen played for 2 teams: the New York Yankees (1986, 1988–1989) and the Chicago White Sox (1987).
What were Scott Nielsen's career stats?
In 38 games, Scott Nielsen went 9-11 with a 5.49 ERA, 47 strikeouts, 142.2 innings pitched, and 2 saves.
What position did Scott Nielsen play?
Scott Nielsen played primarily as a pitcher, the position where he appeared in the most games.
How tall was Scott Nielsen and how much did he weigh?
Scott Nielsen was listed at 6 feet 1 inch and 190 pounds.
What was Scott Nielsen's career ERA?
Scott Nielsen finished with a 5.49 career ERA, going 9-11 with 47 strikeouts.
How many strikeouts did Scott Nielsen have?
Scott Nielsen recorded 47 career strikeouts.
Is Scott Nielsen in the Hall of Fame?
No. Scott Nielsen has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.