Mel Ott vs Pee Wee Reese: Career Stats Comparison
Mel Ott has the better career line of the two, leading 12 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Mel Ott played 1926–1947 as a hitter; Pee Wee Reese played 1940–1958 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
Mel Ott (1926–1947) and Pee Wee Reese (1940–1958) — they broke in during the 1920s and the 1940s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Mel Ott finished with 2,876 hits and 511 home runs; Pee Wee Reese finished with 2,170 hits and 126 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 Pee Wee Reese's 126.
- Who had the higher OPS? Mel Ott, with .947 to Pee Wee Reese's .743.
- Who had the higher batting average? Mel Ott, with .304 to Pee Wee Reese's .269.
- Who had more hits? Mel Ott, with 2,876 to Pee Wee Reese's 2,170.
- Who drove in more runs? Mel Ott, with 1,860 to Pee Wee Reese's 885.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Mel Ott, with 64,873 career PIV to Pee Wee Reese's 10,057.
- Who won more championships? Both — each won 1 World Series title.
Pee Wee Reese
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Mel Ott and Pee Wee Reese. 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 1920s and the 1940s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Mel Ott | Pee Wee Reese |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,730 | 2,166 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 9,456 | 8,058 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,859 | 1,338 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,876 | 2,170 |
| Doubles | Leads: 488 | 330 |
| Triples | 72 | Leads: 80 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 511 | 126 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,860 | 885 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,708 | 1,210 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 896 | 890 |
| Stolen Bases | 89 | Leads: 232 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .304 | .269 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .414 | .366 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .533 | .377 |
| OPS | Leads: .947 | .743 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Mel Ott outpaces Pee Wee Reese 64,873 to 10,057 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,949 PIV per season to 629, across 22 seasons to 16. 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).
Mel Ott — top 3 seasons by OPS
Pee Wee Reese — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Mel Ott leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Pee Wee Reese owns stolen bases. 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 Mel Ott and Pee Wee Reese careers compare
From 1940 through 1947, Mel Ott and Pee Wee Reese were in the majors together. The two careers are close in length, 2,730 games for Mel Ott and 2,166 for Pee Wee Reese across 22 and 16 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. The green cells for Pee Wee Reese are triples (80 to 72) and stolen bases (232 to 89). At the plate, Mel Ott walked more often than struck out (1,708 walks, 896 strikeouts), and Pee Wee Reese walked more often than struck out (1,210 walks, 890 strikeouts).
Mel Ott vs Pee Wee Reese: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Mel Ott or Pee Wee Reese?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Mel Ott leads Pee Wee Reese in 12 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Mel Ott or Pee Wee Reese hit more home runs?
- Mel Ott, with 511 to Pee Wee Reese's 126.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Mel Ott, with .947 to Pee Wee Reese's .743.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Mel Ott, with .304 to Pee Wee Reese's .269.
- Who had more hits?
- Mel Ott, with 2,876 to Pee Wee Reese's 2,170.