Babe Herman 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). Babe Herman played 1926–1945 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
Babe Herman (1926–1945) and Mel Ott (1926–1947) — both debuted in the 1920s. Babe Herman finished with 1,818 hits and 181 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 Babe Herman's 181.
- Who had the higher OPS? Mel Ott, with .947 to Babe Herman's .915.
- Who had the higher batting average? Babe Herman, with .324 to Mel Ott's .304.
- Who had more hits? Mel Ott, with 2,876 to Babe Herman's 1,818.
- Who drove in more runs? Mel Ott, with 1,860 to Babe Herman's 997.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Mel Ott, with 64,873 career PIV to Babe Herman's 25,837.
Babe Herman
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Babe Herman 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 | Babe Herman | Mel Ott |
|---|---|---|
| Games not scored | 1,552 | 2,730 |
| At-Bats not scored | 5,603 | 9,456 |
| Runs | 882 | Leads: 1,859 |
| Hits | 1,818 | Leads: 2,876 |
| Doubles | 399 | Leads: 488 |
| Triples | Leads: 110 | 72 |
| Home Runs | 181 | Leads: 511 |
| RBI | 997 | Leads: 1,860 |
| Walks | 520 | Leads: 1,708 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 553 | 896 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 94 | 89 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .324 | .304 |
| On-Base % | .383 | Leads: .414 |
| Slugging % | .532 | Leads: .533 |
| OPS | .915 | Leads: .947 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Mel Ott outpaces Babe Herman 64,873 to 25,837 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,949 PIV per season to 1,987, 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).
Babe Herman — 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. Babe Herman leads 3: triples, stolen bases, and batting average. 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 Babe Herman and Mel Ott careers compare
From 1926 through 1945, Babe Herman and Mel Ott were in the majors together. The table compares 1,552 games of Babe Herman with 2,730 of Mel Ott across 13 and 22 PIV seasons; totals favor the longer career by default. Where Babe Herman comes out ahead, it is in triples (110 to 72), stolen bases (94 to 89), and batting average (.324 to .304). Plate discipline differs: Babe Herman struck out more than walked (553 to 520), but 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: 181 of 1,818 for Babe Herman, 511 of 2,876 for Mel Ott.
Babe Herman vs Mel Ott: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Babe Herman or Mel Ott?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Mel Ott leads Babe Herman in 9 of the 12 scored categories.
- Did Babe Herman or Mel Ott hit more home runs?
- Mel Ott, with 511 to Babe Herman's 181.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Mel Ott, with .947 to Babe Herman's .915.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Babe Herman, with .324 to Mel Ott's .304.
- Who had more hits?
- Mel Ott, with 2,876 to Babe Herman's 1,818.