Mel Ott vs Paul Waner: Career Stats Comparison
Mel Ott (1926–1947) and Paul Waner (1926–1945) — both broke in during the 1920s, which makes the head-to-head feel like a contemporaries' debate. Mel Ott finished with 2,876 hits and 511 home runs; Paul Waner finished with 3,152 hits and 113 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Paul Waner
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Mel Ott and Paul Waner. Cells highlighted in green mark the category leader. Counting stats reward longevity; the rate stats at the bottom are era-agnostic.
| Statistic | Mel Ott | Paul Waner |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 2,730 | 2,549 |
| At-Bats | 9,456 | 9,459 |
| Runs | 1,859 | 1,627 |
| Hits | 2,876 | 3,152 |
| Doubles | 488 | 605 |
| Triples | 72 | 191 |
| Home Runs | 511 | 113 |
| RBI | 1,860 | 1,309 |
| Walks | 1,708 | 1,091 |
| Strikeouts | 896 | 376 |
| Stolen Bases | 89 | 104 |
| Batting Avg | .304 | .333 |
| On-Base % | .414 | .404 |
| Slugging % | .533 | .473 |
| OPS | .947 | .878 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Mel Ott outpaces Paul Waner 64,873 to 40,296 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (2,949 vs 1,832 per year). PIV adjusts each season to league baselines, so it's the cleanest way to compare careers across eras.
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
Paul Waner — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Mel Ott leads in home runs, RBI, runs, and OBP, while Paul Waner 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.