James Jacob Nelson…originally drafted in the 39th round of the 2007 First Year Player draft by the Cincinnati Reds out of Niceville (FL) High School, but decided to play collegiately at the University of Alabama, where he went 14-9 with a 4.62 ERA in 58 games across three seasons with the Tide…father, Jim, played football and threw the shotput and discus at the University of Florida…mother, Deborah, played basketball at Florida State University…enjoys playing video games and working out…selected in the second round of the 2010 First Year Player Draft by the Milwaukee Brewers.
2022
Spent the entire season recovering from Tommy John surgery.
2021
Bolstered a 1.86 ERA (6 ER/29.0 IP) in 29.0 innings with the Dodgers and held opponents to a .453 OPS…notched his only save in 2021 on May 16 at home against the Marlins Tallied a season-high five strikeouts in 2.0 IP at home against the Diamondbacks as a reliever…wrestled opponents to a .169 average in that contest...Opponents hit .109 on the road against him, fanning 20 and walked 11 batters in that stretch Good against righties, locking them to a .115 average…limited opponents to .141 average in 27.1 innings as a reliever with a 0.88 WHIP Held batters to a season-low .063 average in June…appeared in six games with nine strikeouts and only two walks Delt the most pitches per plate appearance (4.51) of his career in 2021…posted a career-low first-pitch strike percentage (41%)… Had a career-best in contact percentage against (62.4%).
2020
Did not play after undergoing lumbar surgery on July 7.
2019
Made three starts across 10 appearances after spending the 2018 season recovering from right shoulder surgery…went 0-2 with a 6.95 ERA over 22.0 frames ... Fanned 26 over his 22.0 innings to rank seventh among Brewer arms with a 10.6 strikeout per nine inning rate ... Totaled 17 appearances, including four starts, between Single-A Wisconsin and Triple-A San Antonio…posted a combined 3-2 record and 4.79 ERA with 58 strikeouts over 41.1 innings ... Despite amassing a 6.95 ERA, posted a 3.60 ERA (4 ER/10.0 IP) in relief, compared to his 9.75 (13 ER/12.0 IP) mark as a starter…began the season on the 10-day injured list with a right shoulder injury…made a rehab assignment with Triple-A San Antonio on May 5 and was later optioned to San Antonio on May 24, where he totaled a 3-2 record and 4.69 ERA over four starts in 16 total appearances among three stints with the club…fanned 57 over 40.1 frames for a 12.7 strikeout per nine rate as a San Antonio Mission…concluded the season posting a career-high 12.6 strikeout per nine rate…placed back on the IL on June 26 with right elbow effusion before making a pair of rehab assignments with Single-A Wisconsin and Triple-A San Antonio…transferred from the 10-day IL to the 60- day IL with right elbow effusion on Aug. 5…wrapped the season on a rehab assignment with San Antonio…elected free agency on Dec. 2.
2018
Missed the entire season as he recovered from right shoulder surgery ... Signed a 1-year contract on 12/11, avoiding arbitration.
2017
Enjoyed his best Major League season as he went 12-6 with a 3.49 ERA in 29 starts... Tied for ninth in National League Cy Young Award voting (received one fifth-place vote)... His 12 wins and 199 strikeouts marked career highs... Ranked among the National League leaders in ERA (8th, 3.49) and strikeouts (9th, 199)... The Brewers went 17-12 in his starts... Had a team-leading 17 quality starts, going 10-0 with a 1.69 ERA in those starts (117.1ip, 22er)... Went from a Major League-leading 86 walks in 2016 (179.1ip) to just 48 walks in 2017 (175.1ip)... Fell just a strikeout short of recording the 10th season in franchise history of 200+ strikeouts (Yovani Gallardo - 4x, Teddy Higuera - 2x, Ben Sheets, Doug Davis, Zack Greinke)...Produced six double-digit strikeout games, including a career-high 11 on 6/2 vs. Los Angeles, 6/29 at Cincinnati and 9/1 vs. Washington.....had only one career double-digit strikeout game entering the season... Was named Brewers Pitcher of the Month for June (6gs, 3-1, 2.88era, 40.2ip, 50k).....his 50 strikeouts in June tied Ben Sheets (September 2004) for second in franchise history in a calendar month, trailing only CC Sabathia (51k in August 2008)... Threw his first career complete game in a 2-1 win on 6/18 vs. San Diego, allowing just an unearned run on 6 hits in 9.0 innings (2bb, 10k, 1hbp)... Suffered a right shoulder injury on 9/8 at Chicago-NL while sliding back into first base following a base hit.....was placed on the 10-day disabled list on 9/15 and missed the rest of the season • Underwent surgery on 9/19 in Los Angeles to repair a right rotator cuff strain and partial anterior labrum tear.....surgery was performed by Dr. Neil ElAttrache ...Signed a 1-year contract on 1/12/18, avoiding arbitration
2016
Went 8-16 with a 4.62 ERA in a career-high 32 starts...Led the team in starts (32), innings (179.1) and strikeouts (140) ...Led the National League in losses (16), walks (86) and hit batters (17)...Produced 13 quality starts...Posted a 7-3 record with a 2.41 ERA in his 13 quality starts (86ip, 23er)• The Brewers went 12-20 in his starts...Went 5-3 with a 2.88 ERA over his first 11 starts (72ip, 23er) and 3-13 with a 5.79 ERA over his last 21 starts (107.1ip, 69er)...Was named Brewers Pitcher of the Month for May (6gs, 2-1, 2.66era, 40.2ip, 34k, .230ba).
2015
Went 11-13 with a 4.11 ERA in 30 starts during his first full Major League season…Led the team in starts (30), quality starts (13), wins (11), innings (177.1) and strikeouts (148)…The Brewers went 14-16 in his starts…Posted an 8-1 record with a 1.08 ERA in his 13 quality starts (91.1ip, 11er)…Notched his first career 10+ strikeout game on 5/8 vs. Chicago-NL (11k) but also allowed a career-high 3 HR in the 7-6 loss…Had a career-high 4-game winning streak over 7 starts from 7/18-8/21, posting a 2.15 ERA during the streak (46ip, 11er)…Produced a streak of 25.2 innings without allowing an earned run from 7/24-8/9, which marked the fifth-longest streak in a single season by a Brewers starter.....the streak also included 17.0 consecutive scoreless innings from 7/24-8/4…Was named Brewers Pitcher of the Month for July (5gs, 3-1, 1.64era, 33ip, 32k, .213ba)… In his final start of the season, 9/17 vs. St. Louis, left the game in the third inning after being struck in the head by a Tommy Pham line drive…Was placed on the 60-day disabled list on 9/22 with a head contusion.
2014
Entered 2014 as the top prospect in the organization according to Baseball America...Named Brewers Minor League Pitcher of the Year and Pacific Coast League Pitcher of the Year as he went 10-2 with a 1.46 ERA in 17 games (16 starts) at Triple-A Nashville...Held opponents to a .179 batting average with 114 strikeouts in just 111.0 innings...Was named to both the Pacific Coast League's midseason and postseason All-Star teams...Had two stints with Milwaukee (5/25 and 7/11-end)...Went 2-9 with a 4.93 ERA in 14 games (12 starts) with the Brewers...Produced 6 quality starts, including 5 in a row from 7/22-8/15...The Brewers went 4-8 in his starts...Was originally recalled to make a spot start for Yovani Gallardo on 5/25 at Miami.....earned his first Major League win in that start, a 7-1 victory (5.2ip, 5h, 0r, 3bb, 6k, 1wp).....returned to Nashville following the start...Was recalled by Milwaukee on 7/11 and remained with the team the rest of the season...Prior to his 7/11 promotion led the Pacific Coast League in ERA (1.46) and strikeouts (114) while tying for the lead in wins (10)...Made his only relief appearances on 9/13 vs. Cincinnati and 9/18 at St. Louis...Ended the season on a 7-game losing streak (9g/7gs), posting a 5.49 ERA (39.1ip, 24er)
2013
Entered 2013 as the fifth-best prospect in the organization according to Baseball America...Combined to go 10-9 with a 3.25 ERA in 27 starts between Double-A Huntsville (12gs) and Triple-A Nashville (15gs).....had 163 strikeouts in just 152.1 innings, the most in the organization...Began the season at Huntsville, where he went 5-4 with a 2.74 ERA in 12 starts...Was named Brewers Minor League Pitcher of the Month for April (5gs, 3-0, 1.30era)...Struck out 72 batters in just 69.0 innings at Huntsville.....led the Southern League in strikeouts at the time of his 6/3 promotion to Triple-A Nashville...Was a Southern League All-Star (DNP - promoted to Nashville)...Pitched in the All-Star Futures Game at Citi Field (1ip, 1bb)...Went 5-6 with a 3.67 ERA in 15 starts at Nashville.....struck out 91 batters in just 83.1 innings...Contract was selected by Milwaukee on 9/3...Went 0-0 with a 0.90 ERA in 4 games (1 start) with the Brewers...Made his Major League debut in relief on 9/6 at Chicago-NL, tossing 2.0 perfect innings...Made his first Major League start on 9/28 at New York-NL and received a no-decision in the 4-2, 10-inning win (5ip, 1h, 1r, 1er, 3bb, 4k, 1wp)...Enters the 2014 season as the top prospect in the organization according to Baseball America.
2012
Entered 2012 as the 10th-best prospect in the organization according to Baseball America...Combined to go 6-8 with a 2.83 ERA in 23 starts between Class-A Brevard County (13gs) and Double-A Huntsville (10gs).....held opponents to a .213 batting average...Began the season at Brevard County, where he went 4-4 with a 2.21 ERA in 13 starts...Was a Florida State League All-Star (DNP - promoted to Huntsville on 6/13)...Went 2-4 with a 3.91 ERA in 10 starts at Huntsville...Was on Huntsville's disabled list from 7/1-7/27 with a strained right rotator cuff...Pitched for the Phoenix Desert Dogs in the Arizona Fall League (7g, 6gs, 2-3, 4.91era).
2011
Entered 2011 as the eighth-best prospect in the organization according to Baseball America...Went 8-9 with a 4.38 ERA in 26 games (25 starts) at Class-A Wisconsin.
2010
Went 2-0 with a 3.71 ERA in 12 relief appearances at Rookie Helena during his first pro season...Made his professional debut on 7/4 at Missoula and earned the win (2ip, 3h, 2r, 2er, 1bb, 2k).
