Yogi Berra vs Mel Ott: Career Stats Comparison
Mel Ott has the better career line of the two, leading 14 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Yogi Berra played 1946–1965 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
Yogi Berra (1946–1965) and Mel Ott (1926–1947) — they broke in during the 1940s and the 1920s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Yogi Berra finished with 2,150 hits and 358 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? Mel Ott, with 511 to Yogi Berra's 358.
- Who had the higher OPS? Mel Ott, with .947 to Yogi Berra's .830.
- Who had the higher batting average? Mel Ott, with .304 to Yogi Berra's .285.
- Who had more hits? Mel Ott, with 2,876 to Yogi Berra's 2,150.
- Who drove in more runs? Mel Ott, with 1,860 to Yogi Berra's 1,430.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Mel Ott, with 64,873 career PIV to Yogi Berra's 21,371.
- Who won more championships? Yogi Berra, with 10 World Series titles to Mel Ott's 1.
Yogi Berra
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Yogi Berra 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 1940s and the 1920s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Yogi Berra | Mel Ott |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 2,120 | Leads: 2,730 |
| At-Bats | 7,555 | Leads: 9,456 |
| Runs | 1,175 | Leads: 1,859 |
| Hits | 2,150 | Leads: 2,876 |
| Doubles | 321 | Leads: 488 |
| Triples | 49 | Leads: 72 |
| Home Runs | 358 | Leads: 511 |
| RBI | 1,430 | Leads: 1,860 |
| Walks | 704 | Leads: 1,708 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 414 | 896 |
| Stolen Bases | 30 | Leads: 89 |
| Batting Avg | .285 | Leads: .304 |
| On-Base % | .348 | Leads: .414 |
| Slugging % | .482 | Leads: .533 |
| OPS | .830 | Leads: .947 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Mel Ott outpaces Yogi Berra 64,873 to 21,371 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,949 PIV per season to 1,125, across 22 seasons to 19. 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).
Yogi Berra — top 3 seasons by OPS
Mel Ott — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Mel Ott leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Yogi Berra owns no headline categories. That doesn't settle the era debate, but 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 Yogi Berra and Mel Ott careers compare
From 1946 through 1947, Yogi Berra and Mel Ott were in the majors together. The two careers are close in length, 2,120 games for Yogi Berra and 2,730 for Mel Ott across 19 and 22 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Mel Ott leads every scored row of the table. Yogi Berra walked more often than struck out (704 walks, 414 strikeouts); Mel Ott walked more often than struck out (1,708 walks, 896 strikeouts). In slugging percentage, Mel Ott holds the edge, .533 to .482.
Yogi Berra vs Mel Ott: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Yogi Berra or Mel Ott?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Mel Ott leads Yogi Berra in 14 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Yogi Berra or Mel Ott hit more home runs?
- Mel Ott, with 511 to Yogi Berra's 358.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Mel Ott, with .947 to Yogi Berra's .830.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Mel Ott, with .304 to Yogi Berra's .285.
- Who had more hits?
- Mel Ott, with 2,876 to Yogi Berra's 2,150.