Hank Aaron vs Mel Ott: Career Stats Comparison
Hank Aaron has the better career line of the two, leading 11 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Hank Aaron played 1954–1976 as a hitter; Mel Ott played 1926–1947 as a hitter.
- AVG (Batting Average):
- Hits divided by at bats. .300 is the traditional mark of an excellent hitter.
- HR (Home Runs):
- Hits on which the batter circled the bases and scored, almost always by clearing the outfield fence.
- RBI (Runs Batted In):
- Runs that scored as a direct result of a batter's plate appearance.
- OPS (On-Base Plus Slugging):
- On-base percentage plus slugging percentage, the quickest single summary of offensive value. .900 or better is star-level.
Data updated
Hank Aaron (1954–1976) and Mel Ott (1926–1947) — they broke in during the 1950s and the 1920s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Hank Aaron finished with 3,771 hits and 755 home runs; Mel Ott finished with 2,876 hits and 511 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Hank Aaron, with 755 to Mel Ott's 511.
- Who had the higher OPS? Mel Ott, with .947 to Hank Aaron's .928.
- Who had the higher batting average? Hank Aaron, with .305 to Mel Ott's .304.
- Who had more hits? Hank Aaron, with 3,771 to Mel Ott's 2,876.
- Who drove in more runs? Hank Aaron, with 2,297 to Mel Ott's 1,860.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Hank Aaron, with 78,640 career PIV to Mel Ott's 64,873.
- Who won more championships? Both — each won 1 World Series title.
Hank Aaron
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Hank Aaron and Mel Ott. Cells highlighted in green mark the category leader. 14 of the 15 lines below are scored; the other one is a counting total on which fewer is not an achievement, so no one is awarded it. Counting stats reward longevity, and strikeouts are left unmarked because a longer career accumulates more of them. Rate stats are not era-adjusted, and the 1950s and the 1920s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Hank Aaron | Mel Ott |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 3,298 | 2,730 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 12,364 | 9,456 |
| Runs | Leads: 2,174 | 1,859 |
| Hits | Leads: 3,771 | 2,876 |
| Doubles | Leads: 624 | 488 |
| Triples | Leads: 98 | 72 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 755 | 511 |
| RBI | Leads: 2,297 | 1,860 |
| Walks | 1,402 | Leads: 1,708 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,383 | 896 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 240 | 89 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .305 | .304 |
| On-Base % | .374 | Leads: .414 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .555 | .533 |
| OPS | .928 | Leads: .947 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Hank Aaron leads Mel Ott 78,640 to 64,873 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 3,419 PIV per season to 2,949, across 23 seasons to 22. PIV adjusts each season to league baselines, so it's the cleanest way to compare careers across eras.
PIV is computed through the 2025 season. The career totals on this page include 2026 to date, so PIV does not yet reflect the 2026 season.
Peak Seasons
The best single seasons each player produced, ranked by OPS among qualified workloads (300+ at-bats).
Hank Aaron — top 3 seasons by OPS
Mel Ott — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Hank Aaron leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Mel Ott owns OBP and OPS. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Hank Aaron. PIV agrees: Hank Aaron grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Hank Aaron and Mel Ott careers compare
No season is shared: Mel Ott played 1926–1947, Hank Aaron 1954–1976. With 3,298 games against 2,730 across 23 and 22 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. The green cells for Mel Ott are walks (1,708 to 1,402), on-base percentage (.414 to .374), and OPS (.947 to .928). Hank Aaron walked more often than struck out (1,402 walks, 1,383 strikeouts); Mel Ott walked more often than struck out (1,708 walks, 896 strikeouts). On the bases, Hank Aaron stole more often per game played (240 steals in 3,298 games for Hank Aaron, 89 in 2,730 for Mel Ott). In slugging percentage, Hank Aaron holds the edge, .555 to .533.
Hank Aaron vs Mel Ott: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Hank Aaron or Mel Ott?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Hank Aaron leads Mel Ott in 11 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Hank Aaron or Mel Ott hit more home runs?
- Hank Aaron, with 755 to Mel Ott's 511.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Mel Ott, with .947 to Hank Aaron's .928.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Hank Aaron, with .305 to Mel Ott's .304.
- Who had more hits?
- Hank Aaron, with 3,771 to Mel Ott's 2,876.