Jay Nilsson

Jay T. Nilsson

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 6' 1", Weight 185 lb.

• Born November 1, 1987 in Redcliffe, Queensland Australia

BR minors page

Biographical Information

Nilsson holding the Claxton Shield .

Jay Nilsson is the son of Bob Nilsson, a top Australian league reliever of the 1990s. Jay's uncle Dave Nilsson was the first Australian All-Star in the major leagues. His other uncles Gary Nilsson and Ron Nilsson also played in Australia; Gary spent one year in the minor leagues. His cousin Mitch Nilsson followed Jay in being a second-generation Nilsson to sign with a MLB club.

Jay signed with the Cleveland Indians in January of 2006. In the 2006 Claxton Shield competition, he was 6 for 13 with two doubles for the Queensland Rams to win Rookie of the Year honors. He debuted well in the US that summer, hitting .276/.371/.474 for the GCL Indians. He was 6 for 20 with a walk and a double in the 2007 Claxton Shield. With the 2007 GCL Indians, Nilsson did not fare as well, batting .229/.340/.373 with 27 strikeouts in 26 games (though he scored 21 runs).

Sources: Flintoff & Dunn's Australian Major League Baseball Almanac 2007, 2007 Indians Media Guide, MILB.com