Earl Averill vs Mel Ott: Career Stats Comparison
Mel Ott has the better career line of the two, leading 9 of the 12 scored categories on this page (3 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Earl Averill played 1929–1941 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
Earl Averill (1929–1941) and Mel Ott (1926–1947) — both debuted in the 1920s. Earl Averill finished with 2,019 hits and 238 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 leads the career comparison? Mel Ott, in 9 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who hit more home runs? Mel Ott, with 511 to Earl Averill's 238.
- Who had the higher OPS? Mel Ott, with .947 to Earl Averill's .928.
- Who had the higher batting average? Earl Averill, with .318 to Mel Ott's .304.
- Who had more hits? Mel Ott, with 2,876 to Earl Averill's 2,019.
- Who drove in more runs? Mel Ott, with 1,860 to Earl Averill's 1,164.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Mel Ott, with 64,873 career PIV to Earl Averill's 33,953.
Earl Averill
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Earl Averill and Mel Ott. Cells highlighted in green mark the category leader. 12 of the 15 lines below are scored; the other 3 are shown but not scored. Games and at-bats measure playing time, strikeouts accumulate with a longer career, and a line where both players are at zero was won by neither, so those are left unmarked. Rate stats are not era-adjusted, so read them against the run environment each player worked in, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Earl Averill | Mel Ott |
|---|---|---|
| Games not scored | 1,668 | 2,730 |
| At-Bats not scored | 6,353 | 9,456 |
| Runs | 1,224 | Leads: 1,859 |
| Hits | 2,019 | Leads: 2,876 |
| Doubles | 401 | Leads: 488 |
| Triples | Leads: 128 | 72 |
| Home Runs | 238 | Leads: 511 |
| RBI | 1,164 | Leads: 1,860 |
| Walks | 774 | Leads: 1,708 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 518 | 896 |
| Stolen Bases | 70 | Leads: 89 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .318 | .304 |
| On-Base % | .395 | Leads: .414 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .534 | .533 |
| OPS | .928 | Leads: .947 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Mel Ott outpaces Earl Averill 64,873 to 33,953 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,949 PIV per season to 2,612, across 22 seasons to 13. PIV adjusts each season to league baselines, so it's the cleanest way to compare careers across eras.
Peak Seasons
The best single seasons each player produced, ranked by OPS among qualified workloads (300+ at-bats).
Earl Averill — top 3 seasons by OPS
Mel Ott — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
Mel Ott leads 9 of the 12 scored categories on the head-to-head card: runs, hits, doubles, home runs, and others. Earl Averill leads 3: triples, batting average, and slugging percentage. On the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Mel Ott. PIV agrees: Mel Ott grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Earl Averill and Mel Ott careers compare
Earl Averill and Mel Ott were active at the same time between 1929 and 1941. The table compares 1,668 games of Earl Averill with 2,730 of Mel Ott across 13 and 22 PIV seasons; totals favor the longer career by default. Where Earl Averill comes out ahead, it is in triples (128 to 72), batting average (.318 to .304), and slugging percentage (.534 to .533). Earl Averill walked more often than struck out (774 walks, 518 strikeouts); Mel Ott walked more often than struck out (1,708 walks, 896 strikeouts). Home runs make up a larger share of Mel Ott's hits: 238 of 2,019 for Earl Averill, 511 of 2,876 for Mel Ott.
Earl Averill vs Mel Ott: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Earl Averill or Mel Ott?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Mel Ott leads Earl Averill in 9 of the 12 scored categories.
- Did Earl Averill or Mel Ott hit more home runs?
- Mel Ott, with 511 to Earl Averill's 238.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Mel Ott, with .947 to Earl Averill's .928.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Earl Averill, with .318 to Mel Ott's .304.
- Who had more hits?
- Mel Ott, with 2,876 to Earl Averill's 2,019.