Wil Nieves, Catcher


Date of Birth: 9/25/1977
Birthplace: San Juan, Puerto Rico

Wil Nieves, catcher, was first drafted by the San Diego Padres in 1995. He played in the Padres' minor league system from 1996 through most of 2002, joining the Padres for 28 games in 2002.

In December, 2002, the Los Angeles Angels claimed Nieves off waivers and sent him back to the minors for two more seasons. They traded him to the New York Yankees in March, 2005. He spent most of his time with the Yankees in the minor leagues, playing in just 35 games with the Yankees from 2005 through 2007.

Nieves signed with the Washington Nationals in January, 2008. He played in 68 games with the Nationals in 2008 and finished with a .261 batting average. The following season, he batted .259 with 58 hits in 72 games.

In December, 2010, Nieves signed a one-year contract with the Milwaukee Brewers. He didn't last long, however, with the Brewers. After just 20 games with them in 2011, they traded him to the Atlanta Braves, who demoted him to the minors.

Nieves signed a minor league contract with his seventh team, the Colorado Rockies, in December, 2011. Again, he didn't play long with his new team. After 16 games with the Rockies in 2012, they designated him for assignment in August. Five days later, he signed with the Arizona Diamondbacks.

In 2013, Nieves played in 71 games with the Diamondbacks. He had 58 hits, 11 doubles, and a .297 batting average. As a catcher, he made 14 assists, 323 putouts, and 2 errors in 47 games in 2013.

Nieves signed with the Philadelphia Phillies in December, 2013. He played in just 36 games with the Phillies in 2014, finishing with 31 hits and a .254 batting average.

On January 31, 2015, Nieves signed a contract to return to the Padres. He played in just six games in 2015 before being released on May 11th. The following day, he signed with the Atlanta Braves but he was released a month later on June 15th.

Nieves hasn't played professional baseball since 2015.

Career batting statistics for Nieves through 2015 include:

  • 427 games played
  • 281 hits
  • 114 RBIs
  • 228 strikeouts to 61 walks
  • .241 batting average

Career fielding statistics for Nieves as a catcher through 2015 include:

  • 370 games played
  • 167 assists
  • 2,186 putouts
  • 28 errors
  • .241 caught stealing percentage
  • .988 fielding percentage

Sources for Information
Wikipedia - Wil Nieves
ESPN - Wil Nieves