Mel Ott vs Ichiro Suzuki: Career Stats Comparison
Mel Ott has the better career line of the two, leading 9 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; Ichiro Suzuki played 2001–2019 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 Ichiro Suzuki (2001–2019) — they broke in during the 1920s and the 2000s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Mel Ott finished with 2,876 hits and 511 home runs; Ichiro Suzuki finished with 3,089 hits and 117 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 Ichiro Suzuki's 117.
- Who had the higher OPS? Mel Ott, with .947 to Ichiro Suzuki's .757.
- Who had the higher batting average? Ichiro Suzuki, with .311 to Mel Ott's .304.
- Who had more hits? Ichiro Suzuki, with 3,089 to Mel Ott's 2,876.
- Who drove in more runs? Mel Ott, with 1,860 to Ichiro Suzuki's 780.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Mel Ott, with 64,873 career PIV to Ichiro Suzuki's 6,671.
- Who won more championships? Mel Ott, with 1 World Series title to Ichiro Suzuki's 0.
Ichiro Suzuki
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Mel Ott and Ichiro Suzuki. 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 2000s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Mel Ott | Ichiro Suzuki |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,730 | 2,653 |
| At-Bats | 9,456 | Leads: 9,934 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,859 | 1,420 |
| Hits | 2,876 | Leads: 3,089 |
| Doubles | Leads: 488 | 362 |
| Triples | 72 | Leads: 96 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 511 | 117 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,860 | 780 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,708 | 647 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 896 | 1,080 |
| Stolen Bases | 89 | Leads: 509 |
| Batting Avg | .304 | Leads: .311 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .414 | .355 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .533 | .402 |
| OPS | Leads: .947 | .757 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Mel Ott outpaces Ichiro Suzuki 64,873 to 6,671 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,949 PIV per season to 334, across 22 seasons to 20. 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
Ichiro Suzuki — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Mel Ott leads in home runs, RBI, runs, and OBP, while Ichiro Suzuki owns hits, stolen bases, and batting average. 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 Ichiro Suzuki careers compare
No season is shared: Mel Ott played 1926–1947, Ichiro Suzuki 2001–2019. The two careers are close in length, 2,730 games for Mel Ott and 2,653 for Ichiro Suzuki across 22 and 20 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. At the plate, Mel Ott walked more often than struck out (1,708 walks, 896 strikeouts), while Ichiro Suzuki struck out more than walked (1,080 to 647). Home runs make up a larger share of Mel Ott's hits: 511 of 2,876 for Mel Ott, 117 of 3,089 for Ichiro Suzuki.
Mel Ott vs Ichiro Suzuki: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Mel Ott or Ichiro Suzuki?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Mel Ott leads Ichiro Suzuki in 9 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Mel Ott or Ichiro Suzuki hit more home runs?
- Mel Ott, with 511 to Ichiro Suzuki's 117.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Mel Ott, with .947 to Ichiro Suzuki's .757.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Ichiro Suzuki, with .311 to Mel Ott's .304.
- Who had more hits?
- Ichiro Suzuki, with 3,089 to Mel Ott's 2,876.