Kyle Nelson

BIOGRAPHY

Kyle Nelson was born July 8, 1996, in San Francisco, California. He is a pitcher in the MLB.

Nelson attended Galileo Academy of Science and Technology in San Francisco, California, where he played football and baseball. He went undrafted in the 2014 Major League Baseball draft out of high school, and enrolled in at the University of California, Santa Barbara where he played college baseball for the Santa Barbara Gauchos.

In 2015, Nelson's freshman year at UC Santa Barbara, he pitched to a 3-1 record and a 0.75 ERA, striking out 32 batters over 36 relief innings pitched, earning Freshman All-American honors. He played in the Northwoods League after the season. As a sophomore in 2016, he appeared in 33 games, going 7-2 with a 2.18 ERA, striking out 87 batters in 74 innings, and was named to the All-Big West First Team. In 2017, his junior season, he moved to the starting rotation. For the year, he made 15 starts, pitching to a 6-4 record and a 4.53 ERA over 87 innings.

After signing with Cleveland, Nelson made his professional debut with the Mahoning Valley Scrappers where he went 3-2 with a 2.48 ERA over 29 innings pitched in relief. In 2018, he began the season with the Lake County Captains, where he was named a Midwest League All-Star, before being promoted to the Lynchburg Hillcats in August. In 45 2⁄3 innings pitched between the two clubs, he compiled a 6-1 record and a 1.58 ERA, striking out 67 and walking nine. Nelson began 2019 with Lynchburg before being promoted to the Akron RubberDucks in May where he earned Eastern League All-Star honors. In August, he was promoted to the Columbus Clippers, with whom he finished the year. Over 42 games with the three teams, he went 4-4 with a 2.28 ERA and 69 strikeouts over 47 1⁄3 innings.

Nelson was designated for assignment by the newly-named Cleveland Guardians on November 19, 2021.

Nelson was initially optioned to Triple-A Reno to begin the 2023 season. However, after Joe Mantiply suffered an injury, he was placed in the Opening Day bullpen.