Neal Cotts, baseball player, 2003-2015

Neal Cotts

Born: 3/25/1980 in Belleville, IL, USA

MLB Debut: 2003-08-12 | Final Game: 2015-10-03

Bats: L | Throws: L | Height: 6'2" | Weight: 200 lbs

Full name: Neal James Cotts

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Biography

Neal Cotts was a professional baseball pitcher who played in Major League Baseball from 2003 to 2015. Born in 1980, Cotts carved out a respectable career primarily as a reliever, showcasing his talents with various teams, including the Chicago White Sox and the Texas Rangers. Over his career, he achieved a win-loss record of 21-24, with an earned run average (ERA) of 3.96, reflecting his ability to handle high-pressure situations and contribute to his teams' pitching rotations. Cotts recorded 421 strikeouts and secured 4 saves, demonstrating his effectiveness in both relief and late-game scenarios. Cotts’s career spanned an era marked by significant changes in baseball, including the increasing emphasis on bullpen specialization. His versatility allowed him to adapt to various roles within pitching staffs, often stepping in crucial moments to deliver pivotal innings. Known for his competitive spirit and determination, Cotts left a lasting impact on the teams he played for, earning a reputation as a reliable option in the late innings. After his retirement in 2015, he remained a respected figure in the baseball community, reflecting on a career that, while not overflowing with accolades, was characterized by resilience and a commitment to the game.

Career Pitching Statistics

W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER HR BB SO ERA Pitcher PIV
21 24 483 5 0 0 4 443.3 405 195 58 194 421 3.96 0

Career ERA 3.96 vs. league average 4.24 across their career seasons — 6.6% better than league average.

Season-by-Season Pitching

Year Team Lg W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER BB SO ERA Lg ERA Pitcher PIV
2003 CHW AL 1 1 4 4 0 0 0 13.3 15 12 17 10 8.10 4.40 (-84%) -
2004 CHW AL 4 4 56 1 0 0 0 65.3 61 41 30 58 5.65 4.46 (-27%) -
2005 CHW AL 4 0 69 0 0 0 0 60.3 38 13 29 58 1.94 4.29 (+55%) -
2006 CHW AL 1 2 70 0 0 0 1 54.0 64 31 24 43 5.17 4.53 (-14%) -
2007 CHC NL 0 1 16 0 0 0 0 16.7 15 9 9 14 4.86 4.47 (-9%) -
2008 CHC NL 0 2 50 0 0 0 0 35.7 38 17 13 43 4.29 4.32 (+1%) -
2009 CHC NL 0 2 19 0 0 0 0 11.0 14 9 9 9 7.36 4.32 (-70%) -
2013 TEX AL 8 3 58 0 0 0 1 57.0 36 7 18 65 1.11 3.87 (+71%) 2443.4
2014 TEX AL 2 9 73 0 0 0 2 66.7 66 32 23 63 4.32 3.74 (-15%) 267.6
2015 MIL NL 1 0 51 0 0 0 0 49.7 44 18 17 49 3.26 3.96 (+18%) -956.7
2015 MIN AL 0 0 17 0 0 0 0 13.7 14 6 5 9 3.95 3.96 (avg) -694.1

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
483 2 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0.500 0.500 1.000 1.500 0.0

Career AVG .500 vs. league average .262 across their career seasons — +91.0% above league average.

Career OBP .500 vs. league average .329 across their career seasons — +52.2% above league average.

Career SLG .000 vs. league average .415 across their career seasons — +141.2% above league average.

Career OPS 1.500 vs. league average 0.743 across their career seasons — +101.9% above league average.

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
2003 CHW AL 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
2004 CHW AL 56 1 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1.000 — — — — 0.0
2005 CHW AL 69 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
2006 CHW AL 70 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
2007 CHC NL 16 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
2008 CHC NL 50 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0.000 — — — — 0.0
2009 CHC NL 19 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
2013 TEX AL 58 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
2014 TEX AL 73 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
2015 MIL NL 51 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
2015 MIN AL 17 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0

Postseason Statistics

Playoff Career Batting

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
8 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000

Playoff Batting by Year

Year Round Team G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
2008 NLDS1 CHN 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000
2005 ALCS CHA 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000
2005 ALDS1 CHA 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000
2005 WS CHA 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000

Playoff Career Pitching

W L G GS SV IP H ER BB SO ERA
1 0 8 0 0 4.0 2 0 2 5 0.00

Playoff Pitching by Year

Year Round Team W L G GS SV IP H ER BB SO ERA
2008 NLDS1 CHN 0 0 2 0 0 1.7 1 0 1 3 0.00
2005 ALCS CHA 0 0 1 0 0 0.7 0 0 0 0 0.00
2005 ALDS1 CHA 0 0 1 0 0 0.3 0 0 0 0 0.00
2005 WS CHA 1 0 4 0 0 1.3 1 0 1 2 0.00

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
P 483 5 20 57 3 6

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
2003 CHA P 4 4 1 1 0 1
2004 CHA P 56 1 1 8 1 1
2005 CHA P 69 0 2 14 0 2
2006 CHA P 70 0 4 9 0 1
2007 CHN P 16 0 0 2 0 0
2008 CHN P 50 0 2 4 2 0
2009 CHN P 19 0 0 2 0 1
2013 TEX P 58 0 5 5 0 0
2014 TEX P 73 0 3 7 0 0
2015 MIL P 51 0 2 5 0 0
2015 MIN P 17 0 0 0 0 0

Career Games by Position

Position Games
Pitcher 483

Awards & Honors

Year Award Notes
2005 This Year in Baseball Setup Man of the Year MLB.com GIBBY

Salary History

Year Team League Salary
2015 MIL NL $3,000,000
2014 TEX AL $2,200,000
2009 CHN NL $1,100,000
2007 CHN NL $825,000
2006 CHA AL $400,000
2005 CHA AL $330,000
2004 CHA AL $301,000
Total Career Earnings $8,156,000

College History

School Name City State Years Attended
Illinois State University Normal IL 1999, 2000, 2001