John
Nelson
D
#14
John Nelson
#14D
LA Galaxy
Height : 5' 9" · Weight : 161 lbs · Age : 28
MLS record
| Year | Team | FC | FA | RC | YC | OG | APP | SUB | A |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Current season | LA Galaxy | 4 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 25 | 11 | 0 |
Salary
LA Galaxy payroll →- 2026 guaranteed comp.
- 350 k$
- Base salary
- 350 k$
- Rank on the club
- #13 of 21
Guaranteed compensation: base salary plus signing bonuses and other guaranteed money, annualized; performance bonuses are not included. Contract length is not made public.
Advanced stats, 2026 Fullbacks
MLS stats →2026 season, in progress (1,681 minutes played). The percentile ranks the player among regular fullbacks (1,000+ minutes over a full season): 90th means better than 90% of them.
Goals
0
23th percentile
Assists
0
16th percentile
Expected goals (xG)
0.2
11th percentile
Expected assists (xA)
0.2
3th percentile
Goals − xG
−0.2
48th percentile
Key passes
2
1th percentile
Pass completion
81.6 %
46th percentile
Passes over expected
+0.1 /100
26th percentile
g+ per 90
−0.08
12th percentile
Minutes
1,681
Regular season. xG: expected goals from chance quality; xA: expected assists. Passes over expected: completed passes above expectation, per 100 passes, given their difficulty. g+: goals added, above the position average. Data: American Soccer Analysis.
2027 projection
MLS trends →Projected WAR
-0.1
Confidence: high · based on the backtest and minutes played
Projected minutes
2,140
WAR 2026
-0.2
Minutes played
1,681
The pace of the last three seasons (WAR per minute, 60/25/15), pulled toward the group average as if 1,000 more minutes, over the minutes expected from the last two seasons, adjusted for age. Method chosen by backtest (2023 to 2026): mean error of 0.24 wins.
Trend
→ Stable (-6)
- 20230.0 WAR · 0.00 per 3,000 min
- 2024-0.2 WAR · -0.45 per 3,000 min
- 20250.1 WAR · 0.13 per 3,000 min
- 2026-0.2 WAR · -0.36 per 3,000 min
The trend compares this season's WAR per 3,000 minutes with last season's (at least 500 minutes each), weighted by playing time.
Outlook, age included
-6 · 27 y.o. · prime years
It is only a projection. It knows nothing about injuries, transfers or role changes.
Player ratings, 2026
All ratings →Ratings from 0 to 100, computed over four seasons from data, never by hand, against regulars in the same position group. 75 = established regular, 87 = 90th percentile, 95+ = elite. EX counts his MLS seasons since 2021, from our data: his career elsewhere is not included.
OV · Overall
63
Depth player
- DEF
- Defending
- 78
- PAS
- Passing
- 65
- VIS
- Vision
- 47
- DRI
- Dribbling
- 68
- DIS
- Discipline
- 67
- DUR
- Durability
- 76
- EX
- Experience
- 76
Why these ratings?Hide details
- DEF — Defending : Goals added by interrupting (tackles, interceptions, clearances)
- PAS — Passing : Goals added by passing, passes completed over expected
- VIS — Vision : Expected assists and key passes per 90
- DRI — Dribbling : Goals added by carrying the ball
- DIS — Discipline : Goals added by fouls drawn and avoided
- DUR — Durability : Share of his club's minutes played, over several seasons
- EX — Experience : MLS seasons since 2021 (our data)
WAR and PAL Rating, 2026
How we rate →WAR: the goals added (g+) of each of his actions, above replacement level (the per-minute output of his group's fringe players), converted to standings points (0.64 points per goal), then to wins (3 points = one win). PAL Rating scores performance from 0 to 100 against regulars in the same group (50 = median).
WAR
-0.2
#79 of 89 regular fullbacks
−0.9 goals above replacement
PAL Rating
3 / 100
#87 of 89 regular fullbacks
Value Rating · 2026
Sporting contract value
14 / 100
The surplus: his 2026 WAR (-0.2) × the price of a win ($3.6M), minus his 2026 guaranteed compensation, against other fullbacks. Commercial value (tickets, sponsors, media rights) is not counted.Salary$350KSurplus−$1.1MWAR paid0.10PAL: dimensions
Where WAR comes from (in wins)
The value of his shots: the quality of the chance and what he makes of it.
Carrying the ball and beating defenders, minus the balls lost.
Fouls drawn (free kicks, penalties won) minus fouls committed.
Getting open and receiving the ball in dangerous areas.
Breaking up the opponent's play: tackles, interceptions, clearances, blocked shots.
How his passes change his team's chances of scoring and conceding.
The parts above are measured against the position average. This adjustment moves the baseline to a fringe player in his group, prorated by minutes: positive when fringe players do worse than average, negative when they do better.
| Season | Team | Min | WAR | PAL | OV | G | A | xG | xA | g+/90 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | LA | 1,681 | -0.2 | 3 | 63 | 0 | 0 | 0.2 | 0.2 | −0.08 |
| 2025 | LA | 2,288 | 0.1 | 72 | 73 | 0 | 1 | 0.3 | 1.0 | +0.00 |
| 2024 | LA | 1,324 | -0.2 | 1 | 41 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.6 | −0.10 |
| 2023 | STL | 1,397 | 0.0 | 28 | 53 | 0 | 0 | 0.4 | 0.6 | −0.02 |
| 2022 | CIN | 1,332 | -0.1 | 26 | 62 | 0 | 1 | 0.3 | 1.0 | −0.04 |
John Nelson in five questions
How many goals does John Nelson have in 2026?
John Nelson has 0 goals and 0 assists in 1,681 minutes in 2026 (expected goals: 0.2).
How old and how tall is John Nelson?
John Nelson is 28 years old. He is 5'9" (175 cm) and weighs 161 lb (73 kg).
How good is John Nelson?
John Nelson produced -0.2 wins above replacement (WAR) in 2026, 86th of 89 players at his position in the MLS. His PAL rating is 3 out of 100: very poor for his position.
How much does John Nelson make?
John Nelson earns $350K for the 2026 season. His Value Rating (on-field contract efficiency) is 14 out of 100 (very poor return): it measures the on-field return for that salary, compared with players at his position; the player's commercial value is not part of it.
What number does John Nelson wear, and what team does he play for?
John Nelson plays for LA Galaxy in the MLS, at D, and wears number 14.
