Dave Nilsson

Born: 12/14/1969 in Brisbane, QLD, Australia

MLB Debut: 1992-05-18 | Final Game: 1999-10-03

Bats: L | Throws: R | Height: 6'3" | Weight: 185 lbs

Full name: David Wayne Nilsson

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Biography

Dave Nilsson was an Australian professional baseball player who made his mark in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1992 to 1999. Born in 1969, Nilsson played primarily as a position player and was known for his impressive offensive skills during a competitive era in the league. Over the course of his career, he appeared in 837 games, accumulating 789 hits and showcasing his power with 105 home runs and 470 RBIs. His batting average of .284 highlighted his consistency at the plate, while he also demonstrated speed with 15 stolen bases. Nilsson's contributions to the game were recognized with an All-Star selection, marking him as one of the standout players of his time. He played in an era that bridged the transition from the late 1980s and early 1990s into the burgeoning power-focused environment of the late 1990s. As one of the first Australian players to achieve significant success in MLB, Nilsson played a crucial role in promoting baseball in Australia and inspiring future generations of players. His career, which spanned the late 20th century, remains a significant chapter in the history of baseball's international reach.

Career Batting Statistics

G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	AVG	OBP	SLG	OPS	PIV
837	2779	389	789	157	10	105	470	15	320	424	0.284	0.356	0.461	0.817	4612.7

Career AVG .284 vs. league average .266 across their career seasons — +6.5% above league average.

Career OBP .356 vs. league average .336 across their career seasons — +6.0% above league average.

Career SLG .461 vs. league average .416 across their career seasons — +10.9% above league average.

Career OPS 0.817 vs. league average 0.752 across their career seasons — +8.7% 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
1992	ATL	AL	51	164	15	38	8	0	4	25	2	17	18	0.232	.255 (-9%)	.322 (-6%)	.377 (-6%)	.699 (-6%)	-156.2
1993	ATL	AL	100	296	35	76	10	2	7	40	3	37	36	0.257	.265 (-3%)	.332 (+1%)	.403 (-7%)	.735 (-3%)	-141.6
1994	ATL	AL	109	397	51	109	28	3	12	69	1	34	61	0.275	.269 (+2%)	.338 (-4%)	.424 (+6%)	.763 (+2%)	-5.0
1995	ATL	AL	81	263	41	73	12	1	12	53	2	24	41	0.278	.266 (+4%)	.337 (avg)	.417 (+12%)	.755 (+7%)	267.1
1996	ATL	AL	123	453	81	150	33	2	17	84	2	57	68	0.331	.269 (+23%)	.340 (+20%)	.426 (+23%)	.767 (+22%)	2120.2
1997	ATL	AL	156	554	71	154	33	0	20	81	2	65	88	0.278	.266 (+4%)	.336 (+4%)	.419 (+6%)	.756 (+6%)	673.8
1998	MIL	NL	102	309	39	83	14	1	12	56	2	33	48	0.269	.266 (+1%)	.335 (+1%)	.420 (+4%)	.755 (+3%)	175.9
1999	MIL	NL	115	343	56	106	19	1	21	62	1	53	64	0.309	.271 (+14%)	.344 (+16%)	.433 (+28%)	.778 (+23%)	1678.5

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position	G	GS	PO	A	E	DP
1B	166	141	1180	77	15	139
C	309	287	1515	107	19	10
OF	178	164	285	13	8	1

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year	Team	Pos	G	GS	PO	A	E	DP
1992	ML4	1B	3	0	7	0	0	1
1992	ML4	C	46	43	224	16	2	1
1993	ML4	1B	4	3	27	3	0	3
1993	ML4	C	91	85	430	30	9	3
1994	ML4	1B	5	2	20	0	0	4
1994	ML4	C	60	59	295	15	2	3
1995	ML4	1B	7	0	16	2	0	1
1995	ML4	C	2	0	2	0	0	0
1995	ML4	OF	58	52	99	5	2	0
1996	ML4	1B	24	17	145	13	3	16
1996	ML4	C	2	0	2	1	0	0
1996	ML4	OF	61	58	105	5	4	1
1997	ML4	1B	74	72	610	38	6	71
1997	ML4	OF	22	20	31	1	0	0
1998	MIL	1B	49	47	355	21	6	43
1998	MIL	C	7	6	31	1	1	0
1998	MIL	OF	37	34	50	2	2	0
1999	MIL	C	101	94	531	44	5	3

Career Games by Position

Position	Games
Catcher	309
First Base	166
Left Field	80
Right Field	105
Designated Hitter	163

Awards & Honors

Year	Award	Notes
1997	Player of the Week	Week of 1997-07-26

Salary History

Year	Team	League	Salary
1999	MIL	NL	$5,694,133
1998	MIL	NL	$3,700,000
1997	ML4	AL	$2,700,000
1996	ML4	AL	$1,075,000
1995	ML4	AL	$290,000
1994	ML4	AL	$182,500
1993	ML4	AL	$122,500
Total Career Earnings			$13,764,133