Mel Ott vs Alfonso Soriano: 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; Alfonso Soriano played 1999–2014 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 Alfonso Soriano (1999–2014) — they broke in during the 1920s and the 1990s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Mel Ott finished with 2,876 hits and 511 home runs; Alfonso Soriano finished with 2,095 hits and 412 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 Alfonso Soriano's 412.
- Who had the higher OPS? Mel Ott, with .947 to Alfonso Soriano's .819.
- Who had the higher batting average? Mel Ott, with .304 to Alfonso Soriano's .270.
- Who had more hits? Mel Ott, with 2,876 to Alfonso Soriano's 2,095.
- Who drove in more runs? Mel Ott, with 1,860 to Alfonso Soriano's 1,159.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Mel Ott, with 64,873 career PIV to Alfonso Soriano's 13,727.
- Who won more championships? Alfonso Soriano, with 2 World Series titles to Mel Ott's 1.
Alfonso Soriano
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Mel Ott and Alfonso Soriano. 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 1990s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Mel Ott | Alfonso Soriano |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,730 | 1,975 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 9,456 | 7,750 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,859 | 1,152 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,876 | 2,095 |
| Doubles | Leads: 488 | 481 |
| Triples | Leads: 72 | 31 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 511 | 412 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,860 | 1,159 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,708 | 496 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 896 | 1,803 |
| Stolen Bases | 89 | Leads: 289 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .304 | .270 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .414 | .319 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .533 | .500 |
| OPS | Leads: .947 | .819 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Mel Ott outpaces Alfonso Soriano 64,873 to 13,727 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,949 PIV per season to 807, across 22 seasons to 17. 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
Alfonso Soriano — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Mel Ott leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Alfonso Soriano 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 Alfonso Soriano careers compare
Mel Ott (1926–1947) was finished before Alfonso Soriano (1999–2014) arrived, so they never shared a league. The two careers are close in length, 2,730 games for Mel Ott and 1,975 for Alfonso Soriano across 22 and 17 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Alfonso Soriano's edges on the table are stolen bases (289 to 89). At the plate, Mel Ott walked more often than struck out (1,708 walks, 896 strikeouts), while Alfonso Soriano struck out more than walked (1,803 to 496). On the bases, Alfonso Soriano stole more often per game played (89 steals in 2,730 games for Mel Ott, 289 in 1,975 for Alfonso Soriano).
Mel Ott vs Alfonso Soriano: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Mel Ott or Alfonso Soriano?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Mel Ott leads Alfonso Soriano in 13 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Mel Ott or Alfonso Soriano hit more home runs?
- Mel Ott, with 511 to Alfonso Soriano's 412.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Mel Ott, with .947 to Alfonso Soriano's .819.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Mel Ott, with .304 to Alfonso Soriano's .270.
- Who had more hits?
- Mel Ott, with 2,876 to Alfonso Soriano's 2,095.