What do baseball players do after their playing days are done? Some move on, while others stay involved in the game in other ways. For one former Milwaukee Brewers ace, he is staying in the game by accepting a role as a pitching coach.
Former Milwaukee Brewers ace takes on a new role in baseball
The Frederick Keys, who are a collegiate summer baseball team of the MLB Draft League and are based in Maryland, have announced that Jimmy Nelson is joining their staff as a pitching coach. This will be Nelson’s first position with the team, in which their season begins June 4.
The Frederick Keys are excited to announce that Preston Wilson (@PrestonWilson44) will serve as the Keys Manager for the 2025 season! Additionally, Jimmy Nelson and Tony Diaz will serve as assistant coaches. @mlbdraftleague
More information: https://t.co/ncm5HwKBQm pic.twitter.com/2UDaEcSVZb
— Frederick Keys (@FrederickKeys) April 15, 2025
Jimmy Nelson’s unforgettable 2017 season
The 2017 Milwaukee Brewers defined all expectations, but ultimately fell one game short of making the post season. That year, Nelson established himself as the ace of the team where over his last 20 starts he had a 3.21 ERA with 155 strikeouts over 126 innings.
Unfortunately, Nelson finished the year injured as he tore his labrum diving back to first base against the Cubs on September 8. Nelson finished the year with 199 strikesouts, a 3.49 ERA, and was ninth overall in Cy Young voting. He missed the entire 2018 season recovering from shoulder surgery and was never his self again afterwards.
For this former Brewers ace, the love of the game didn’t fade with the significant shoulder injury. He continued to grind in the minor leagues through the 2023 season. Now that he is no longer playing, instead of stepping away from the game, he’s chosen to pass on his knowledge and experience to the next generation as a pitching coach.
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