Mel Ott vs Fernando Tatis: 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; Fernando Tatis has played 2019–present 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 Fernando Tatis (2019–present) — they broke in during the 1920s and the 2010s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Mel Ott finished with 2,876 hits and 511 home runs; Fernando Tatis has 901 hits and 177 home runs through October 12, 2026. 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 Fernando Tatis's 177.
- Who had the higher OPS? Mel Ott, with .947 to Fernando Tatis's .860.
- Who had the higher batting average? Mel Ott, with .304 to Fernando Tatis's .279.
- Who had more hits? Mel Ott, with 2,876 to Fernando Tatis's 901.
- Who drove in more runs? Mel Ott, with 1,860 to Fernando Tatis's 476.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Mel Ott, with 64,873 career PIV to Fernando Tatis's 9,648.
- Who won more championships? Mel Ott, with 1 World Series title to Fernando Tatis's 0.
Fernando Tatis
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Mel Ott and Fernando Tatis. 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 2010s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
Fernando Tatis is still active — his totals below are current through October 12, 2026.
| Statistic | Mel Ott | Fernando Tatis |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,730 | 830 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 9,456 | 3,229 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,859 | 572 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,876 | 901 |
| Doubles | Leads: 488 | 168 |
| Triples | Leads: 72 | 15 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 511 | 177 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,860 | 476 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,708 | 357 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 896 | 820 |
| Stolen Bases | 89 | Leads: 162 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .304 | .279 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .414 | .355 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .533 | .505 |
| OPS | Leads: .947 | .860 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Mel Ott outpaces Fernando Tatis 64,873 to 9,648 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,949 PIV per season to 1,608, across 22 seasons to 6. 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
Fernando Tatis — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Mel Ott leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Fernando Tatis 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 Fernando Tatis careers compare
The two careers never overlapped: Mel Ott's ended in 1947, and Fernando Tatis debuted in 2019. Mel Ott has the far longer record, 2,730 games against 830 across 22 and 6 PIV seasons, which inflates every career total. The green cells for Fernando Tatis are stolen bases (162 to 89). At the plate, Mel Ott walked more often than struck out (1,708 walks, 896 strikeouts), while Fernando Tatis struck out more than walked (820 to 357). Fernando Tatis was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played. Mel Ott's slugging percentage of .533 tops Fernando Tatis's .505. Because Fernando Tatis is still playing, the totals above will keep moving through the season.
Mel Ott vs Fernando Tatis: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Mel Ott or Fernando Tatis?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Mel Ott leads Fernando Tatis in 13 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Mel Ott or Fernando Tatis hit more home runs?
- Mel Ott, with 511 to Fernando Tatis's 177.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Mel Ott, with .947 to Fernando Tatis's .860.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Mel Ott, with .304 to Fernando Tatis's .279.
- Who had more hits?
- Mel Ott, with 2,876 to Fernando Tatis's 901.