Stan Musial vs Mel Ott: Career Stats Comparison
Stan Musial 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). Stan Musial played 1941–1963 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
Stan Musial (1941–1963) and Mel Ott (1926–1947) — they broke in during the 1940s and the 1920s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Stan Musial finished with 3,630 hits and 475 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 Stan Musial's 475.
- Who had the higher OPS? Stan Musial, with .976 to Mel Ott's .947.
- Who had the higher batting average? Stan Musial, with .331 to Mel Ott's .304.
- Who had more hits? Stan Musial, with 3,630 to Mel Ott's 2,876.
- Who drove in more runs? Stan Musial, with 1,951 to Mel Ott's 1,860.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Stan Musial, with 83,624 career PIV to Mel Ott's 64,873.
- Who won more championships? Stan Musial, with 3 World Series titles to Mel Ott's 1.
Stan Musial
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Stan Musial 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 | Stan Musial | Mel Ott |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 3,026 | 2,730 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 10,972 | 9,456 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,949 | 1,859 |
| Hits | Leads: 3,630 | 2,876 |
| Doubles | Leads: 725 | 488 |
| Triples | Leads: 177 | 72 |
| Home Runs | 475 | Leads: 511 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,951 | 1,860 |
| Walks | 1,599 | Leads: 1,708 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 696 | 896 |
| Stolen Bases | 78 | Leads: 89 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .331 | .304 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .417 | .414 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .559 | .533 |
| OPS | Leads: .976 | .947 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Stan Musial leads Mel Ott 83,624 to 64,873 — driven by per-season impact — 3,801 PIV per season to 2,949 — rather than by longevity, since Stan Musial played 22 seasons to Mel Ott's 22. 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).
Stan Musial — top 3 seasons by OPS
Mel Ott — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Stan Musial leads in hits, RBI, runs, and batting average, while Mel Ott owns home runs and stolen bases. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Stan Musial. PIV agrees: Stan Musial grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Stan Musial and Mel Ott careers compare
From 1941 through 1947, Stan Musial and Mel Ott were in the majors together. The two careers are close in length, 3,026 games for Stan Musial and 2,730 for Mel Ott across 22 and 22 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Mel Ott's edges on the table are home runs (511 to 475), walks (1,708 to 1,599), and stolen bases (89 to 78). Stan Musial walked more often than struck out (1,599 walks, 696 strikeouts); 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: 475 of 3,630 for Stan Musial, 511 of 2,876 for Mel Ott.
Stan Musial vs Mel Ott: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Stan Musial or Mel Ott?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Stan Musial leads Mel Ott in 11 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Stan Musial or Mel Ott hit more home runs?
- Mel Ott, with 511 to Stan Musial's 475.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Stan Musial, with .976 to Mel Ott's .947.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Stan Musial, with .331 to Mel Ott's .304.
- Who had more hits?
- Stan Musial, with 3,630 to Mel Ott's 2,876.