Stephen Nelson is filling big shoes behind the mic at Dodger Stadium.
The 34-year-old is the newest play-by-play broadcaster for the Los Angeles Dodgers. Following in the steps of Vin Scully and Jaime Jarrin, Nelson’s role still hasn’t sunk in.
“No, absolutely not,” Nelson told NBC’s Emilie Ikeda on “TODAY.” “Growing up a fan of sports broadcasting, I’m aware of the lineage that I’m now a part of with this franchise, which means so much not just in Los Angeles or in baseball, but in sport.”
Nelson first visited Dodgers Stadium when he was 8 years old for Japanese community night. The event combined his love for the sport and his heritage, both of which are at the forefront of his career.
Nelson is a fourth-generation Japanese American from Southern California. His mother worked at the Japanese American National Museum in Downtown L.A., and Nelson got to use Japanese when introducing Los Angeles Angels superstar Shohei Ohtani at the Commissioner’s Historic Achievement Award ceremony in October 2021.
Nelson was named to SportsNet LA’s Dodgers broadcast team in January following stints at Bleacher Report, NHL Network, MLB Network and Apple TV+. The hire made Nelson the only Asian American TV play-by-play announcer working for an MLB team.
More than 40% of MLB players on 2023 Opening Day rosters were from diverse backgrounds. A lack of diversity is more stark in other areas of the league, including the booth, where the league estimates that just over 20% of its broadcasters come from a diverse background.
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“In this day and age when we’re talking about diversity, equity and inclusion, to see him be the only one speaks to how talented he is but also speaks to how much further we have to go,” said Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, the first manager of Asian heritage to win the World Series.
Nelson is expected to call around 50 Dodger games this season in place of Joe Davis, the Dodgers’ main play-by-play broadcaster who is also FOX’s leading MLB voice.
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Nelson’s goal every time he steps in the press box is making his loved ones proud.
“This is going to sound so Asian: I just don’t want to disappoint my parents and my family,” Nelson said. “It never leaves, no matter how old we get. And I truly mean that. My only goal is to make them proud. I want to make it about proving people right. The people who have been there for us, who have sacrificed for us, who have helped us and mentored us and taught us, I want to prove them right.”
