Mel Ott vs Turkey Stearnes: Career Stats Comparison
Mel Ott has the better career line of the two, leading 8 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; Turkey Stearnes played ?–1940 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 Turkey Stearnes (?–1940) — their careers are worth a careful side-by-side. Mel Ott finished with 2,876 hits and 511 home runs; Turkey Stearnes finished with 1,372 hits and 195 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 Turkey Stearnes's 195.
- Who had the higher OPS? Turkey Stearnes, with 1.033 to Mel Ott's .947.
- Who had the higher batting average? Turkey Stearnes, with .347 to Mel Ott's .304.
- Who had more hits? Mel Ott, with 2,876 to Turkey Stearnes's 1,372.
- Who drove in more runs? Mel Ott, with 1,860 to Turkey Stearnes's 1,038.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Mel Ott, with 64,873 career PIV to Turkey Stearnes's 28,010.
- Who won more championships? Mel Ott, with 1 World Series title to Turkey Stearnes's 0.
Turkey Stearnes
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Mel Ott and Turkey Stearnes. 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, so read them against the run environment each player worked in, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Mel Ott | Turkey Stearnes |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,730 | 1,034 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 9,456 | 3,959 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,859 | 961 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,876 | 1,372 |
| Doubles | Leads: 488 | 243 |
| Triples | 72 | Leads: 122 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 511 | 195 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,860 | 1,038 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,708 | 429 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 896 | 11 |
| Stolen Bases | 89 | Leads: 141 |
| Batting Avg | .304 | Leads: .347 |
| On-Base % | .414 | Leads: .416 |
| Slugging % | .533 | Leads: .617 |
| OPS | .947 | Leads: 1.033 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Mel Ott outpaces Turkey Stearnes 64,873 to 28,010 — driven by per-season impact — 2,949 PIV per season to 1,273 — rather than by longevity, since Mel Ott played 22 seasons to Turkey Stearnes'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).
Mel Ott — top 3 seasons by OPS
Turkey Stearnes — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Mel Ott leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Turkey Stearnes owns stolen bases, batting average, and OBP. 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 Turkey Stearnes careers compare
From 1940 through 1940, Mel Ott and Turkey Stearnes were in the majors together. The table compares 2,730 games of Mel Ott with 1,034 of Turkey Stearnes across 22 and 22 PIV seasons; totals favor the longer career by default. At the plate, Mel Ott walked more often than struck out (1,708 walks, 896 strikeouts), and Turkey Stearnes walked more often than struck out (429 walks, 11 strikeouts). Turkey Stearnes was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played. Turkey Stearnes's on-base percentage of .416 tops Mel Ott's .414.
Mel Ott vs Turkey Stearnes: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Mel Ott or Turkey Stearnes?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Mel Ott leads Turkey Stearnes in 8 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Mel Ott or Turkey Stearnes hit more home runs?
- Mel Ott, with 511 to Turkey Stearnes's 195.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Turkey Stearnes, with 1.033 to Mel Ott's .947.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Turkey Stearnes, with .347 to Mel Ott's .304.
- Who had more hits?
- Mel Ott, with 2,876 to Turkey Stearnes's 1,372.