Mel Hoderlein
Second Baseman · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1951-1954)
Mel Hoderlein was a second baseman who played in Major League Baseball from 1951 to 1954 for the Boston Red Sox and the Washington Senators, a span of 4 seasons. In 118 career games, he hit .252 with 74 hits and 24 RBI.
- 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
- Position
- Second Baseman
- Bats / Throws
- B / R
- Height / Weight
- 5'10" / 185 lb
- Died
- 5/21/2001 in Mount Carmel, OH, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1951-08-16
- Last Game
- 1954-06-06
Full name: Melvin Anthony Hoderlein
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 118 | 294 | 22 | 74 | 10 | 3 | 0 | 24 | 2 | 31 | 37 | .252 | .327 | .306 | .633 | -402 |
Career AVG .252 vs. league average .260 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career OBP .327 vs. league average .333 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career SLG .306 vs. league average .386 across their career seasons — 20.6% below league average.
Career OPS .633 vs. league average .719 across their career seasons — 11.9% below league average.
Season-by-Season Batting
Click a stat to plot it across every season.
| Year | Team | Lg | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | Lg AVG | Lg OBP | Lg SLG | Lg OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1951 | BOS | AL | 9 | 14 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 2 | .357 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1952 | WS1 | AL | 72 | 208 | 16 | 56 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 17 | 2 | 18 | 22 | .269 | .252 (+7%) | .326 (+2%) | .369 (-12%) | .696 (-5%) | -149.5 |
| 1953 | WS1 | AL | 23 | 47 | 5 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 6 | 9 | .191 | — | — | — | — | -252.4 |
| 1954 | WS1 | AL | 14 | 25 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | .160 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| Career · 4 seasons | 118 | 294 | 22 | 74 | 10 | 3 | 0 | 24 | 2 | 31 | 37 | .252 | — | — | — | — | -402 | ||
Lg columns show the league average for that season, with the player's figure as a percentage above or below it. Career totals the seasons listed above.
Game Log & Splits
View full game log (118 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 56 | 123 | 8 | 26 | 0 | 4 | .211 |
| Away | 62 | 172 | 14 | 48 | 0 | 20 | .279 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1954-06-06 | MIN | CHW | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1954-06-05 | MIN | CHW | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1954-05-31 | MIN | NYY | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1954-05-31 | MIN | NYY | W | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1954-05-23 | MIN | PHA | W | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1954-05-22 | MIN | PHA | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1954-05-12 | MIN | DET | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1954-05-04 | MIN | CHW | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1954-05-01 | MIN | DET | L | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 1954-04-30 | MIN | DET | L | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Second Base | 77 |
| Third Base | 3 |
| Shortstop | 8 |
Mel Hoderlein: the record in brief
The profile opens with Mel Hoderlein's first major league game on August 16, 1951; the last one listed came on June 6, 1954. The season rows list, in order, the Boston Red Sox (1951) and the Washington Senators (1952 to 1954). Hoderlein played primarily as a second baseman and batted from both sides and threw right-handed. The bio adds a birth date on June 24, 1923, in Mount Carmel, OH, USA and a listed size of 5 feet, 10 inches and 185 pounds. Hoderlein's death is recorded on May 21, 2001, in Mount Carmel, OH, USA. The given name on file is Melvin Anthony Hoderlein.
Across 118 games at the plate, Hoderlein's career line reads 74 hits in 294 at bats for a .252 average, plus 24 runs batted in. Hoderlein got on base at a .327 rate and slugged .306 (.633 OPS). The .252 career average is close to the .260 the league hit across the same seasons. The OPS comparison is .633 to a league .719, 11.9% below average. The highest hit total in a season was 56, in 1952.
Frequently Asked Questions about Mel Hoderlein
- What years did Mel Hoderlein play?
- Mel Hoderlein played in Major League Baseball from 1951 to 1954.
- Was Mel Hoderlein a pitcher?
- No. Mel Hoderlein was a position player (Second Baseman).
- How many home runs did Mel Hoderlein hit?
- Mel Hoderlein hit 0 career home runs with 74 hits.
- What teams did Mel Hoderlein play for?
- Mel Hoderlein played for 2 teams: the Boston Red Sox (1951) and the Washington Senators (1952–1954).
- What were Mel Hoderlein's career stats?
- In 118 games, Mel Hoderlein had 74 hits, 24 RBI, 22 runs, and 2 stolen bases, with a .252 batting average.
- What position did Mel Hoderlein play?
- Mel Hoderlein played primarily as a second baseman, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was Mel Hoderlein and how much did he weigh?
- Mel Hoderlein was listed at 5 feet 10 inches and 185 pounds.
- What was Mel Hoderlein's career batting average?
- Mel Hoderlein batted .252 over his career, with 74 hits in 294 at bats.
- How many RBI did Mel Hoderlein have?
- Mel Hoderlein drove in 24 runs in his career.
- Is Mel Hoderlein in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Mel Hoderlein has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.