Babe Melton
Center Fielder · Career Stats, Bio & Records
Babe Melton was a center fielder who played in Major League Baseball for 4 teams, including the Cleveland Elites. In 114 career games, he hit .330 with 132 hits, 16 home runs, and 71 RBI. His totals include Negro Leagues seasons, which MLB recognized as major league in 2020. His career PIV — Baseball Data Hub's era-adjusted measure of offensive impact — is 2,026.
- 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
- Center Fielder
- Bats / Throws
- R / R
- Height / Weight
- 5'7" / 160 lb
- Died
- 2/15/1962 in Washington, DC, USA
Full name: Elbert Grant Melton
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 114 | 400 | 81 | 132 | 19 | 18 | 16 | 71 | 14 | 31 | 4 | .330 | .384 | .588 | .971 | 2,026 |
Career AVG .330 vs. league average .283 across their career seasons — +16.5% above league average.
Career OBP .384 vs. league average .347 across their career seasons — +10.5% above league average.
Career SLG .588 vs. league average .400 across their career seasons — +46.7% above league average.
Career OPS .971 vs. league average .748 across their career seasons — +29.9% above 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1926 | CEL | NNL | 20 | 61 | 6 | 14 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 6 | 2 | 5 | 0 | .230 | .279 (-18%) | .345 (-17%) | .390 (+13%) | .735 (-1%) | -30.3 |
| 1928 | CTG | NNL | 57 | 198 | 37 | 70 | 6 | 13 | 7 | 42 | 5 | 8 | 0 | .354 | .280 (+26%) | .342 (+12%) | .395 (+57%) | .737 (+36%) | 1143.9 |
| 1929 | NLG | ANL | 33 | 127 | 34 | 45 | 11 | 4 | 6 | 21 | 6 | 16 | 4 | .354 | .289 (+22%) | .353 (+23%) | .415 (+55%) | .769 (+40%) | 912.4 |
| 1929 | BBS | ANL | 4 | 14 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 | .214 | — | — | — | — | 912.4 |
| Career · 4 seasons | 114 | 400 | 81 | 132 | 19 | 18 | 16 | 71 | 14 | 31 | 4 | .330 | — | — | — | — | 2,938 | ||
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.
Season-by-Season Pitching
Click a stat to plot it across every season.
| Year | Team | Lg | W | L | G | GS | CG | SHO | SV | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA | Lg ERA | Pitcher PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1926 | CEL | NNL | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5.0 | 10 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 3.60 | — | 0.0 |
| Career · 1 season | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5.0 | 10 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 3.60 | — | 0 | ||
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
Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 2 | 9 | 4 | 5 | 1 | 0 | .556 |
Last 2 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1929-06-06 | NYL | BLS | W | 5 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1929-06-06 | NYL | BLS | W | 4 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1B | 6 | 3 | 36 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 2B | 24 | 22 | 40 | 63 | 9 | 1 |
| 3B | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| C | 13 | 10 | 54 | 10 | 2 | 1 |
| OF | 63 | 61 | 123 | 9 | 3 | 5 |
| P | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| SS | 5 | 4 | 6 | 12 | 2 | 0 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1926 | CEL | C | 2 | 2 | 13 | 3 | 1 | 1 |
| 1926 | CEL | OF | 16 | 16 | 33 | 3 | 2 | 2 |
| 1926 | CEL | P | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1928 | CTG | 1B | 2 | 2 | 18 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1928 | CTG | 2B | 23 | 21 | 39 | 61 | 7 | 1 |
| 1928 | CTG | 3B | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 1928 | CTG | C | 11 | 8 | 41 | 7 | 1 | 0 |
| 1928 | CTG | OF | 16 | 14 | 26 | 2 | 1 | 2 |
| 1928 | CTG | SS | 5 | 4 | 6 | 12 | 2 | 0 |
| 1929 | NLG | 1B | 4 | 1 | 18 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 1929 | NLG | OF | 28 | 28 | 54 | 3 | 0 | 1 |
| 1929 | BBS | 2B | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| 1929 | BBS | OF | 3 | 3 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Pitcher | 2 |
| Catcher | 13 |
| First Base | 6 |
| Second Base | 24 |
| Third Base | 1 |
| Shortstop | 5 |
| Left Field | 12 |
| Center Field | 45 |
| Right Field | 6 |
Babe Melton: the record in brief
The season rows for Babe Melton begin in 1926. The team column moves through the Cleveland Elites (1926), the Cleveland Tigers (1928), the New York Lincoln Giants (1929), and the Baltimore Black Sox (1929). Melton played primarily as a center fielder and batted and threw right-handed. Born on October 2, 1897, in Providence Township, NC, USA, Melton was listed at 5-foot-7 and 160 pounds. The bio records the death on February 15, 1962, in Washington, DC, USA. The bio lists the given name Elbert Grant.
Melton finished with 132 hits from 400 at bats in 114 games, which works out to .330, plus 16 homers and 71 RBI. On-base and slugging figures of .384 and .588 give Melton a career OPS of .971. The league as a whole hit .283 across Melton's seasons, which puts the .330 career mark 16.5% above average. Melton collected a career-high 70 hits in 1928. In 1929, a season of regular play, Melton hit .354 while the league hit .289.
Frequently Asked Questions about Babe Melton
- Was Babe Melton a pitcher?
- No. Babe Melton was a position player (Center Fielder), though he did pitch in 2 career games.
- How many home runs did Babe Melton hit?
- Babe Melton hit 16 career home runs with 132 hits.
- What teams did Babe Melton play for?
- Babe Melton played for 4 teams: the Cleveland Elites (1926), the Cleveland Tigers (1928), the New York Lincoln Giants (1929), and the Baltimore Black Sox (1929).
- What were Babe Melton's career stats?
- In 114 games, Babe Melton had 132 hits, 16 home runs, 71 RBI, 81 runs, and 14 stolen bases, with a .330 batting average.
- What position did Babe Melton play?
- Babe Melton played primarily as a center fielder, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was Babe Melton and how much did he weigh?
- Babe Melton was listed at 5 feet 7 inches and 160 pounds.
- How many home runs did Babe Melton hit each season?
- Babe Melton's home runs by season: 3 in 1926, 7 in 1928, and 6 in 1929. His most in one season was 7, in 1928.
- What was Babe Melton's career batting average?
- Babe Melton batted .330 over his career, with 132 hits in 400 at bats.
- How many RBI did Babe Melton have?
- Babe Melton drove in 71 runs in his career.
- What was Babe Melton's career ERA?
- Babe Melton finished with a 3.60 career ERA, going 0-0 with 1 strikeouts.
- Is Babe Melton in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Babe Melton has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.