| Brad Nelson | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Demographics | |
| Nickname | FFfreaK |
| Born | May 21, 1986 |
| Residence | Roanoke, Virginia, United States |
| Nationality |
 American |
| Professional Career | |
| Pro Tour debut | Pro Tour Honolulu 2009 |
| Top Finishes | 7 (0 wins) |
| GP top 8s | 19 (3 wins) |
| Awards | |
| Player of the Year | |
Brad Nelson is an American professional Magic player and founder of MTGMelee. He is the half-brother of Corey Baumeister, who also was a successful player at the professional stage.
Professional play
In 2010, he finished in the top eight of two Pro Tours, San Juan and Amsterdam, and became the 2010 Player of the Year after defeating Guillaume Matignon in the first-ever Player of the Year playoff match. This made him the first American player to win the Player of the Year title since Bob Maher won it in 2000. During the following years, Nelson experienced varying degrees of success; in 2011, he failed to make it to the top eight of any premier event, and Nelson briefly fell off the gravy train the following year. He bounced back starting in 2013–14, however, and has since been among the more successful Pro Tour players, qualifying for the World Championship in 2015, 2016, and 2017, and posting his third Pro Tour top eight at PT Shadows over Innistrad. In particular, Nelson has gained a reputation as a Standard specialist, both for his technical play and for his ability to react to subtle changes in the metagame; during coverage of Grand Prix Denver 2017, Ben Stark suggested that he is the best Standard player in the history of the game.
In December 2018, it was announced that Nelson would be one of the 32 players joining the upcoming 2019 Magic Pro League. Finishing in the Top 20, he could continue in the 2020 Season, but a weak performance in the MPL Gauntlet would put him in Rivals for the final 2021 season.
During his tenure in the Leagues he also founded MTGMelee, what would become the major organization platform for Magic tournaments. While not out of professional play entirely with the return of the Pro Tour, this took him a step back from competing at higher levels.
League play
| Season | Rank |
|---|---|
| 2019 Magic Pro League | 7 |
| 2020 Magic Pro League | 8 |
| 2020-21 Magic Pro League | 11 |
| 2021–22 Rivals League | 34 |
Accomplishments
| Season | Event type | Location | Format | Date | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Nationals | Kansas City | Standard and Booster Draft | 22–24 July 2009 | 4 |
| 2009 | Grand Prix | Minneapolis | Limited | 14–14 November 2009 | 4 |
| 2010 | Grand Prix | Washington, D.C. | Standard | 22–23 May 2010 | 1 |
| 2010 | Pro Tour | San Juan | Block Constructed and Booster Draft | 28–30 May 2010 | 6 |
| 2010 | Grand Prix | Colombus | Legacy | 31 July–1 August 2010 | 8 |
| 2010 | Nationals | Minneapolis | Standard and Booster Draft | 19–22 August 2010 | 8 |
| 2010 | Pro Tour | Amsterdam | Extended and Booster Draft | 3–5 September 2010 | 2 |
| 2010 | Grand Prix | Toronto | Limited | 23–24 October 2010 | 2 |
| 2010 | Magic Online Championship | Chiba | Special | 9–12 December 2010 | 4 |
| 2012–13 | Grand Prix | Minneapolis | Standard | 19–20 May 2012 | 2 |
| 2012–13 | Grand Prix | Atlantic City | Standard | 12–13 January 2013 | 3 |
| 2013–14 | Grand Prix | Miami | Standard | 29–30 June 2013 | 3 |
| 2013–14 | Grand Prix | Louisville | Standard | 19–20 October 2013 | 6 |
| 2013–14 | Grand Prix | Cincinnati | Standard | 22–23 March 2014 | 2 |
| 2014–15 | Grand Prix | Los Angeles | Standard | 18–19 October 2014 | 6 |
| 2014–15 | Grand Prix | Memphis | Standard | 21–22 February 2015 | 3 |
| 2014–15 | Grand Prix | Toronto | Standard | 2–3 May 2015 | 4 |
| 2015–16 | Pro Tour | Madrid | Standard and Booster Draft | 12–24 April 2016 | 6 |
| 2016–17 | Grand Prix | Omaha | Standard | 3–4 June 2017 | 1 |
| 2017–18 | Grand Prix | Minneapolis | Standard | 5–6 August 2017 | 6 |
| 2017–18 | Grand Prix | Denver | Standard | 19–20 August 2017 | 1 |
| 2017–18 | Pro Tour Team Series | Boston | Team Limited | 8 October 2017 | 2 |
| 2017–18 | Grand Prix | London | Limited | 27–28 January 2018 | 5 |
| 2017–18 | Grand Prix | Toronto | Team Constructed | 19–20 May 2018 | 2 |
| 2017–18 | Grand Prix | Washington, D.C. | Team Limited | 26–27 May 2018 | 4 |
| 2018–19 | Grand Prix | New Jersey | Standard | 27–28 October 2018 | 2 |
| 2018–19 | Mythic Championship | Las Vegas (MTG Arena) | Traditional Standard | 21–23 June 2019 | 2 |
| 2018–19 | Mythic Championship | Long Beach (MTG Arena) | Traditional Standard | 6-8 December 2019 | 2 |
| 2020–21 | Split Championship | MTG Arena | Standard and Historic | December 4–6, 2020 | 6 |
→ Source: Wizards.com
Pro Tour Results
| Season | Pro Tour | Format | Finish | Winnings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Honolulu | Block Constructed and Booster Draft | 9 | $7,000 |
| 2009 | Austin | Extended and Booster Draft | 413 | |
| 2009 | Worlds (Rome) | Special | 33 | $1,300 |
| 2010 | San Diego | Standard and Booster Draft | 197 | |
| 2010 | San Juan | Block Constructed and Booster Draft | 6 | $10,500 |
| 2010 | Amsterdam | Extended and Booster Draft | 2 | $20,000 |
| 2010 | Worlds (Chiba) | Special | 135 | |
| 2011 | Paris | Standard and Booster Draft | 95 | |
| 2011 | Nagoya | Block Constructed and Booster Draft | 303 | |
| 2011 | Philadelphia | Modern and Booster Draft | 57 | $580 |
| 2011 | Worlds (San Francisco) | Special | 180 | |
| 2012 | Dark Ascension in Honolulu | Standard and Booster Draft | 407 | |
| 2012 | Avacyn Restored in Barcelona | Block Constructed and Booster Draft | 20 | $2,000 |
| 2012–13 | Return to Ravnica in Seattle | Modern and Booster Draft | 118 | |
| 2012–13 | Dragon's Maze in San Diego | Block Constructed and Booster Draft | 93 | |
| 2013–14 | Theros in Dublin | Standard and Booster Draft | 30 | $1,500 |
| 2013–14 | Born of the Gods in Valencia | Modern and Booster Draft | 355 | |
| 2013–14 | Journey into Nyx in Atlanta | Block Constructed and Booster Draft | 37 | $1,500 |
| 2013–14 | Magic 2015 in Portland | Standard and Booster Draft | 37 | $1,500 |
| 2014–15 | Khans of Tarkir in Honolulu | Standard and Booster Draft | 30 | $1,500 |
| 2014–15 | Fate Reforged in Washington, D.C. | Modern and Booster Draft | 221 | |
| 2014–15 | Dragons of Tarkir in Brussels | Standard and Booster Draft | 14 | $5,000 |
| 2014–15 | Magic Origins in Vancouver | Standard and Booster Draft | 28 | $1,500 |
| 2015–16 | Battle for Zendikar in Milwaukee | Standard and Booster Draft | 161 | |
| 2015–16 | Oath of the Gatewatch in Atlanta | Modern and Booster Draft | 113 | |
| 2015–16 | Shadows over Innistrad in Madrid | Standard and Booster Draft | 6 | $10,000 |
| 2015–16 | Eldritch Moon in Sydney | Standard and Booster Draft | 19 | $2,500 |
| 2016–17 | Kaladesh in Honolulu | Standard and Booster Draft | 430 | |
| 2016–17 | Aether Revolt in Dublin | Standard and Booster Draft | 13 | $5,000 |
| 2016–17 | Amonkhet in Nashville | Standard and Booster Draft | 22 | $3,000 |
| 2016–17 | Hour of Devastation in Kyoto | Standard and Booster Draft | 71 | |
| 2017–18 | Ixalan in Albuquerque | Standard and Booster Draft | 152 | |
| 2017–18 | Rivals of Ixalan in Bilbao | Modern and Booster Draft | 128 | |
| 2017–18 | Dominaria in Richmond | Standard and Booster Draft | 27 | $2,000 |
| 2017–18 | 25th Anniversary in Minneapolis | Team Constructed | 33 | $2,000 |
| 2018–19 | Guilds of Ravnica in Atlanta | Standard and Booster Draft | 28 | $2,000 |
| 2018–19 | Mythic Championship Cleveland 2019 | Standard and Booster Draft | 165 | $500 |
| 2018–19 | Mythic Championship III | Traditional Standard | 2 | $50,000 |
| 2018–19 | Mythic Championship VII | Traditional Standard | 2 | $50,000 |
→ Source: Wizards.com