Melvin Nieves
Outfielder · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1992-1998)
Melvin Nieves was an outfielder who played in Major League Baseball from 1992 to 1998 for 4 teams, including the Atlanta Braves, a span of 7 seasons. In 458 career games, he hit .231 with 284 hits, 63 home runs, and 187 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
- B / R
- Height / Weight
- 6'2" / 185 lb
- MLB Debut
- 1992-09-01
- Last Game
- 1998-09-14
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 458 | 1,228 | 163 | 284 | 53 | 6 | 63 | 187 | 4 | 136 | 483 | .231 | .314 | .438 | .752 | -184 |
Career AVG .231 vs. league average .266 across their career seasons — 13.0% below league average.
Career OBP .314 vs. league average .335 across their career seasons — 6.2% below league average.
Career SLG .438 vs. league average .413 across their career seasons — +6.2% above league average.
Career OPS .752 vs. league average .747 across their career seasons — near 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 | ATL | NL | 12 | 19 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 7 | .211 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1993 | SDN | NL | 19 | 47 | 4 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 21 | .191 | — | — | — | — | -165.4 |
| 1994 | SDN | NL | 10 | 19 | 2 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 10 | .263 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1995 | SDN | NL | 98 | 234 | 32 | 48 | 6 | 1 | 14 | 38 | 2 | 19 | 88 | .205 | .266 (-23%) | .337 (-18%) | .417 (avg) | .755 (-8%) | -375.9 |
| 1996 | DET | AL | 120 | 431 | 71 | 106 | 23 | 4 | 24 | 60 | 1 | 44 | 158 | .246 | .269 (-9%) | .340 (-5%) | .426 (+14%) | .767 (+5%) | 358.8 |
| 1997 | DET | AL | 116 | 359 | 46 | 82 | 18 | 1 | 20 | 64 | 1 | 39 | 157 | .228 | .266 (-14%) | .336 (-8%) | .419 (+8%) | .756 (+1%) | 11.2 |
| 1998 | CIN | NL | 83 | 119 | 8 | 30 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 17 | 0 | 26 | 42 | .252 | .266 (-5%) | .335 (+14%) | .420 (-20%) | .755 (-5%) | -13.1 |
| Career · 7 seasons | 458 | 1,228 | 163 | 284 | 53 | 6 | 63 | 187 | 4 | 136 | 483 | .231 | — | — | — | — | -184 | ||
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 (458 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 232 | 600 | 71 | 130 | 25 | 76 | .217 |
| Away | 226 | 628 | 92 | 154 | 38 | 111 | .245 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998-09-14 | CIN | MIL | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1998-09-10 | CIN | STL | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1998-09-08 | CIN | HOU | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1998-09-07 | CIN | HOU | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1998-09-06 | CIN | STL | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1998-09-05 | CIN | STL | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1998-09-02 | CIN | CHC | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1998-09-01 | CIN | CHC | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1998-08-31 | CIN | CHC | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1998-08-30 | CIN | MIA | W | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| First Base | 2 |
| Left Field | 91 |
| Center Field | 8 |
| Right Field | 243 |
| Designated Hitter | 25 |
Salary History
Melvin Nieves's recorded salaries total $1,677,000 over 6 seasons, 1993 to 1998. This total is partial: the salary data covers 1985 to 2016, and Nieves's career ran from 1992 to 1998. No salary is recorded for 1992.
| Year | Team | League | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | CIN | NL | $820,000 |
| 1997 | DET | AL | $335,000 |
| 1996 | DET | AL | $170,000 |
| 1995 | SDN | NL | $125,000 |
| 1994 | SDN | NL | $118,000 |
| 1993 | SDN | NL | $109,000 |
| Total recorded salary (partial) | $1,677,000 | ||
Most Similar Players
Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.
Melvin Nieves (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.
Melvin Nieves: the record in brief
September 1, 1992 and September 14, 1998 bracket Melvin Nieves's time in the majors: the debut and the last game on record. Club by club, the record runs the Atlanta Braves (1992), the San Diego Padres (1993 through 1995), the Detroit Tigers (1996 through 1997), and the Cincinnati Reds (1998). Born on December 28, 1971, in San Juan, P.R., Nieves is listed as an outfielder and batted from both sides and threw right-handed. Nieves's listed size is 6-foot-2 and 185 pounds.
The batting record for Nieves: 458 games, 284 hits in 1,228 at bats, and a .231 average; the totals also include 63 homers and 187 runs batted in. Reaching base at a .314 clip and slugging .438, Nieves finished with a .752 OPS. The league as a whole hit .266 across Nieves's seasons, which puts the .231 career mark 13.0% below average. No season beat the 24 home runs Nieves hit in 1996. Nieves collected a career-high 106 hits in 1996. Nieves drove in a season-high 64 runs in 1997. Even the best average among the busiest seasons, .246 in 1996, did not top the league's .269.
Frequently Asked Questions about Melvin Nieves
- What years did Melvin Nieves play?
- Melvin Nieves played in Major League Baseball from 1992 to 1998.
- Was Melvin Nieves a pitcher?
- No. Melvin Nieves was a position player (Outfielder).
- How many home runs did Melvin Nieves hit?
- Melvin Nieves hit 63 career home runs with 284 hits.
- What teams did Melvin Nieves play for?
- Melvin Nieves played for 4 teams: the Atlanta Braves (1992), the San Diego Padres (1993–1995), the Detroit Tigers (1996–1997), and the Cincinnati Reds (1998).
- What were Melvin Nieves's career stats?
- In 458 games, Melvin Nieves had 284 hits, 63 home runs, 187 RBI, 163 runs, and 4 stolen bases, with a .231 batting average.
- How much did Melvin Nieves earn in his career?
- Melvin Nieves's recorded salaries total $1,677,000 over 6 seasons, 1993 to 1998. This total is partial: the salary data covers 1985 to 2016, and Nieves's career ran from 1992 to 1998. No salary is recorded for 1992.
- What was Melvin Nieves's salary?
- Melvin Nieves's last recorded salary was $820,000, in 1998. His highest recorded salary was $820,000, in 1998, and his lowest was $109,000, in 1993. The Salary History table lists each season from 1993 to 1998.
- What position did Melvin Nieves play?
- Melvin Nieves played primarily as an outfielder, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was Melvin Nieves and how much did he weigh?
- Melvin Nieves was listed at 6 feet 2 inches and 185 pounds.
- How many home runs did Melvin Nieves hit each season?
- Melvin Nieves's home runs by season: 0 in 1992, 2 in 1993, 1 in 1994, 14 in 1995, 24 in 1996, 20 in 1997, and 2 in 1998. His most in one season was 24, in 1996.
- What was Melvin Nieves's career batting average?
- Melvin Nieves batted .231 over his career, with 284 hits in 1,228 at bats.
- How many RBI did Melvin Nieves have?
- Melvin Nieves drove in 187 runs in his career.
- Is Melvin Nieves in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Melvin Nieves has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.