Mel Ott vs Phil Rizzuto: 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). Mel Ott played 1926–1947 as a hitter; Phil Rizzuto played 1941–1956 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 Phil Rizzuto (1941–1956) — 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; Phil Rizzuto finished with 1,588 hits and 38 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 Phil Rizzuto's 38.
- Who had the higher OPS? Mel Ott, with .947 to Phil Rizzuto's .706.
- Who had the higher batting average? Mel Ott, with .304 to Phil Rizzuto's .273.
- Who had more hits? Mel Ott, with 2,876 to Phil Rizzuto's 1,588.
- Who drove in more runs? Mel Ott, with 1,860 to Phil Rizzuto's 563.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Mel Ott, with 64,873 career PIV to Phil Rizzuto's 662.
- Who won more championships? Phil Rizzuto, with 8 World Series titles to Mel Ott's 1.
Phil Rizzuto
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Mel Ott and Phil Rizzuto. 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 | Phil Rizzuto |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,730 | 1,661 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 9,456 | 5,816 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,859 | 877 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,876 | 1,588 |
| Doubles | Leads: 488 | 239 |
| Triples | Leads: 72 | 62 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 511 | 38 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,860 | 563 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,708 | 651 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 896 | 398 |
| Stolen Bases | 89 | Leads: 149 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .304 | .273 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .414 | .351 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .533 | .355 |
| OPS | Leads: .947 | .706 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Mel Ott outpaces Phil Rizzuto 64,873 to 662 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,949 PIV per season to 51, across 22 seasons to 13. 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
Phil Rizzuto — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Mel Ott leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Phil Rizzuto 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 Phil Rizzuto careers compare
The careers of Mel Ott (1926–1947) and Phil Rizzuto (1941–1956) overlapped from 1941 to 1947, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. The table compares 2,730 games of Mel Ott with 1,661 of Phil Rizzuto across 22 and 13 PIV seasons; totals favor the longer career by default. Phil Rizzuto's edges on the table are stolen bases (149 to 89). At the plate, Mel Ott walked more often than struck out (1,708 walks, 896 strikeouts), and Phil Rizzuto walked more often than struck out (651 walks, 398 strikeouts). Home runs make up a larger share of Mel Ott's hits: 511 of 2,876 for Mel Ott, 38 of 1,588 for Phil Rizzuto.
Mel Ott vs Phil Rizzuto: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Mel Ott or Phil Rizzuto?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Mel Ott leads Phil Rizzuto in 13 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Mel Ott or Phil Rizzuto hit more home runs?
- Mel Ott, with 511 to Phil Rizzuto's 38.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Mel Ott, with .947 to Phil Rizzuto's .706.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Mel Ott, with .304 to Phil Rizzuto's .273.
- Who had more hits?
- Mel Ott, with 2,876 to Phil Rizzuto's 1,588.