Charleston, WV – On Tuesday night, James Nelson blasted his 30th home run of the season in his first at bat of the game. He now has 30 home runs and 45 stolen bases with 20 regular season games left to play.
Nelson is not only the first player in Atlantic League history to be a member of the 30-40 club, but he is also the first to be in the 30-30 club.
“It’s been a pleasure to watch James give his all on both sides of the ball,” said Ben Blum, Charleston Dirty Birds General Manager.
This is the second season that Nelson has reached the 30-30 mark. In 2023, while playing under PJ Phillips in New Jersey, he hit 30 home runs while swiping 34 stolen bases earning him the Frontier League MVP award.
“James plays hard every single minute of every single game,” said Andy Shea, Charleston Dirty Birds CEO and Owner. “He practices hard, takes care of himself, and is one of the nicest guys we’ve had wear a Dirty Birds uniform. Whenever I have my Little Leaguers at a Dirty Birds game I tell them to watch and learn how James plays the game!”
The Dirty Birds finish their three-game road series in High Point Thursday night before returning to GoMart Ballpark to host southern division rival, the Gastonia Ghost Peppers.