Joe DiMaggio vs Mel Ott: Career Stats Comparison
Mel Ott has the better career line of the two, leading 10 of the 14 statistical categories compared on this page. Joe DiMaggio played 1936–1951 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
Joe DiMaggio (1936–1951) and Mel Ott (1926–1947) — they broke in during the 1930s and the 1920s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Joe DiMaggio finished with 2,214 hits and 361 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 Joe DiMaggio's 361.
- Who had the higher OPS? Joe DiMaggio, with .977 to Mel Ott's .947.
- Who had the higher batting average? Joe DiMaggio, with .325 to Mel Ott's .304.
- Who had more hits? Mel Ott, with 2,876 to Joe DiMaggio's 2,214.
- Who drove in more runs? Mel Ott, with 1,860 to Joe DiMaggio's 1,537.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Mel Ott, with 64,873 career PIV to Joe DiMaggio's 47,427.
- Who won more championships? Joe DiMaggio, with 9 World Series titles to Mel Ott's 1.
Joe DiMaggio
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Joe DiMaggio and Mel Ott. Cells highlighted in green mark the category leader. Counting stats reward longevity, and strikeouts are left unmarked because a longer career accumulates more of them. Rate stats are not era-adjusted -- a .305 in 1965 and a .298 in 2001 came out of very different run environments -- so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Joe DiMaggio | Mel Ott |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,736 | Leads: 2,730 |
| At-Bats | 6,821 | Leads: 9,456 |
| Runs | 1,390 | Leads: 1,859 |
| Hits | 2,214 | Leads: 2,876 |
| Doubles | 389 | Leads: 488 |
| Triples | Leads: 131 | 72 |
| Home Runs | 361 | Leads: 511 |
| RBI | 1,537 | Leads: 1,860 |
| Walks | 790 | Leads: 1,708 |
| Strikeouts | 369 | 896 |
| Stolen Bases | 30 | Leads: 89 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .325 | .304 |
| On-Base % | .398 | Leads: .414 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .579 | .533 |
| OPS | Leads: .977 | .947 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Mel Ott outpaces Joe DiMaggio 64,873 to 47,427 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (2,949 vs 3,648 per year). 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).
Joe DiMaggio — 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 Joe DiMaggio owns batting average and OPS. 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
Joe DiMaggio vs Mel Ott: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Joe DiMaggio or Mel Ott?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Mel Ott leads Joe DiMaggio in 10 of 14 categories.
- Did Joe DiMaggio or Mel Ott hit more home runs?
- Mel Ott, with 511 to Joe DiMaggio's 361.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Joe DiMaggio, with .977 to Mel Ott's .947.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Joe DiMaggio, with .325 to Mel Ott's .304.
- Who had more hits?
- Mel Ott, with 2,876 to Joe DiMaggio's 2,214.