Larry Doby vs Mel Ott: Career Stats Comparison
Mel Ott has the better career line of the two, leading 13 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Larry Doby played 1947–1959 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
Larry Doby (1947–1959) and Mel Ott (1926–1947) — they broke in during the 1940s and the 1920s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Larry Doby finished with 1,697 hits and 273 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 Larry Doby's 273.
- Who had the higher OPS? Mel Ott, with .947 to Larry Doby's .888.
- Who had the higher batting average? Mel Ott, with .304 to Larry Doby's .288.
- Who had more hits? Mel Ott, with 2,876 to Larry Doby's 1,697.
- Who drove in more runs? Mel Ott, with 1,860 to Larry Doby's 1,093.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Mel Ott, with 64,873 career PIV to Larry Doby's 28,857.
- Who won more championships? Larry Doby, with 2 World Series titles to Mel Ott's 1.
Larry Doby
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Larry Doby 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 | Larry Doby | Mel Ott |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,674 | Leads: 2,730 |
| At-Bats | 5,883 | Leads: 9,456 |
| Runs | 1,080 | Leads: 1,859 |
| Hits | 1,697 | Leads: 2,876 |
| Doubles | 277 | Leads: 488 |
| Triples | 72 | 72 |
| Home Runs | 273 | Leads: 511 |
| RBI | 1,093 | Leads: 1,860 |
| Walks | 945 | Leads: 1,708 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,012 | 896 |
| Stolen Bases | 64 | Leads: 89 |
| Batting Avg | .288 | Leads: .304 |
| On-Base % | .389 | Leads: .414 |
| Slugging % | .499 | Leads: .533 |
| OPS | .888 | Leads: .947 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Mel Ott outpaces Larry Doby 64,873 to 28,857 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,949 PIV per season to 1,519, 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).
Larry Doby — 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 Larry Doby 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 Larry Doby and Mel Ott careers compare
Larry Doby and Mel Ott were active at the same time between 1947 and 1947. The table compares 1,674 games of Larry Doby with 2,730 of Mel Ott across 19 and 22 PIV seasons; totals favor the longer career by default. Every scored category on the table goes to Mel Ott. At the plate, Larry Doby struck out more than walked (1,012 to 945), while Mel Ott walked more often than struck out (1,708 walks, 896 strikeouts). Mel Ott's slugging percentage of .533 tops Larry Doby's .499. Mel Ott owns the better peak by OPS: .986 OPS in 1950 for Larry Doby against 1.084 OPS in 1929 for Mel Ott.
Larry Doby vs Mel Ott: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Larry Doby or Mel Ott?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Mel Ott leads Larry Doby in 13 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Larry Doby or Mel Ott hit more home runs?
- Mel Ott, with 511 to Larry Doby's 273.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Mel Ott, with .947 to Larry Doby's .888.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Mel Ott, with .304 to Larry Doby's .288.
- Who had more hits?
- Mel Ott, with 2,876 to Larry Doby's 1,697.