Earle Combs vs Mel Ott: Career Stats Comparison
Mel Ott 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). Earle Combs played 1924–1935 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
Earle Combs (1924–1935) and Mel Ott (1926–1947) — both broke in during the 1920s, which makes the head-to-head feel like a contemporaries' debate. Earle Combs finished with 1,866 hits and 58 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 Earle Combs's 58.
- Who had the higher OPS? Mel Ott, with .947 to Earle Combs's .859.
- Who had the higher batting average? Earle Combs, with .325 to Mel Ott's .304.
- Who had more hits? Mel Ott, with 2,876 to Earle Combs's 1,866.
- Who drove in more runs? Mel Ott, with 1,860 to Earle Combs's 632.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Mel Ott, with 64,873 career PIV to Earle Combs's 19,222.
- Who won more championships? Earle Combs, with 3 World Series titles to Mel Ott's 1.
Earle Combs
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Earle Combs 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, so read them against the run environment each player worked in, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Earle Combs | Mel Ott |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,455 | Leads: 2,730 |
| At-Bats | 5,746 | Leads: 9,456 |
| Runs | 1,186 | Leads: 1,859 |
| Hits | 1,866 | Leads: 2,876 |
| Doubles | 309 | Leads: 488 |
| Triples | Leads: 154 | 72 |
| Home Runs | 58 | Leads: 511 |
| RBI | 632 | Leads: 1,860 |
| Walks | 670 | Leads: 1,708 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 278 | 896 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 96 | 89 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .325 | .304 |
| On-Base % | .397 | Leads: .414 |
| Slugging % | .462 | Leads: .533 |
| OPS | .859 | Leads: .947 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Mel Ott outpaces Earle Combs 64,873 to 19,222 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,949 PIV per season to 1,602, across 22 seasons to 12. 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).
Earle Combs — 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 Earle Combs owns stolen bases and batting average. 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 Earle Combs and Mel Ott careers compare
Earle Combs and Mel Ott were active at the same time between 1926 and 1935. Playing time explains much of the gap in the counting rows: Earle Combs appeared in 1,455 games to Mel Ott's 2,730. The green cells for Earle Combs are triples (154 to 72), stolen bases (96 to 89), and batting average (.325 to .304). At the plate, Earle Combs walked more often than struck out (670 walks, 278 strikeouts), and Mel Ott walked more often than struck out (1,708 walks, 896 strikeouts). Mel Ott is the more power-leaning hitter, with 511 of 2,876 hits leaving the park. Mel Ott's on-base percentage of .414 tops Earle Combs's .397.
Earle Combs vs Mel Ott: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Earle Combs or Mel Ott?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Mel Ott leads Earle Combs in 11 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Earle Combs or Mel Ott hit more home runs?
- Mel Ott, with 511 to Earle Combs's 58.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Mel Ott, with .947 to Earle Combs's .859.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Earle Combs, with .325 to Mel Ott's .304.
- Who had more hits?
- Mel Ott, with 2,876 to Earle Combs's 1,866.