Mel Ott, baseball player, 511 home runs, 1926-1947

Mel Ott

⭐ Hall of Fame 1951

Born: 3/2/1909 in Gretna, LA, USA

Died: 11/21/1958 in New Orleans, LA, USA

MLB Debut: 1926-04-27 | Final Game: 1947-07-11

Bats: L | Throws: R | Height: 5'9" | Weight: 170 lbs

Full name: Melvin Thomas Ott

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Biography

Mel Ott, born in 1909, was a prominent American baseball player who had a remarkable career in Major League Baseball from 1926 until his retirement in 1947. Best known for his time with the New York Giants, Ott was a powerful position player who left an indelible mark on the game. Over his 21-year career, he played in 2,730 games, amassing 2,876 hits and an impressive 511 home runs, while driving in 1,860 runs. His consistent offensive prowess was highlighted by a career batting average of .304 and a total of 89 stolen bases, showcasing his ability to hit for both power and average. Ott's contributions to the game were recognized with 12 All-Star selections and his induction into the Hall of Fame in 1951, underscoring his status as one of the premier players of his era. He played during a transformative time in baseball, bridging the gap between the deadball era and the more power-driven approach that characterized later decades. Known for his distinctive batting stance and keen eye at the plate, Ott not only excelled as a hitter but also served as a mentor to younger players, influencing the next generation of talent. His legacy continues to be celebrated as one of the greatest giants in the history of the sport.

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
2730 9456 1859 2876 488 72 511 1860 89 1708 896 0.304 0.414 0.533 0.947 64823.0

Career AVG .304 vs. league average .273 across their career seasons — +11.5% above league average.

Career OBP .414 vs. league average .338 across their career seasons — +22.3% above league average.

Career SLG .533 vs. league average .385 across their career seasons — +38.3% above league average.

Career OPS 0.947 vs. league average 0.724 across their career seasons — +30.9% above league average.

Season-by-Season Batting

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 NY1 NL 35 60 7 23 2 0 0 4 1 1 9 0.383 .279 (+37%) .345 (+14%) .390 (+7%) .735 (+10%) 101.2
1927 NY1 NL 82 163 23 46 7 3 1 19 2 13 9 0.282 .282 (avg) .344 (-3%) .392 (-3%) .736 (-3%) -104.0
1928 NY1 NL 124 435 69 140 26 4 18 77 3 52 36 0.322 .280 (+15%) .342 (+16%) .395 (+33%) .737 (+25%) 2223.5
1929 NY1 NL 150 545 138 179 37 2 42 151 6 113 38 0.328 .289 (+14%) .353 (+27%) .415 (+53%) .769 (+41%) 5256.2
1930 NY1 NL 148 521 122 182 34 5 25 119 9 103 35 0.349 .293 (+19%) .354 (+29%) .429 (+34%) .784 (+32%) 4146.0
1931 NY1 NL 138 497 104 145 23 8 29 115 10 80 44 0.292 .276 (+6%) .338 (+16%) .388 (+40%) .726 (+29%) 3039.8
1932 NY1 NL 154 566 119 180 30 8 38 123 6 100 39 0.318 .275 (+16%) .335 (+26%) .391 (+53%) .726 (+41%) 5100.1
1933 NY1 NL 152 580 98 164 36 1 23 103 1 75 48 0.283 .270 (+5%) .329 (+11%) .377 (+24%) .707 (+18%) 2221.5
1934 NY1 NL 153 582 119 190 29 10 35 135 0 85 43 0.326 .278 (+17%) .340 (+22%) .392 (+50%) .733 (+37%) 4629.9
1935 NY1 NL 152 593 113 191 33 6 31 114 7 82 58 0.322 .279 (+15%) .342 (+19%) .399 (+39%) .742 (+30%) 3832.2
1936 NY1 NL 150 534 120 175 28 6 33 135 6 111 41 0.328 .283 (+15%) .349 (+28%) .404 (+46%) .753 (+37%) 4703.2
1937 NY1 NL 151 545 99 160 28 2 31 95 7 102 69 0.294 .276 (+6%) .342 (+19%) .398 (+31%) .740 (+26%) 3271.5
1938 NY1 NL 150 527 116 164 23 6 36 116 2 118 47 0.311 .272 (+14%) .341 (+29%) .392 (+48%) .734 (+39%) 4831.3
1939 NY1 NL 125 396 85 122 23 2 27 80 2 100 50 0.308 .274 (+12%) .342 (+31%) .393 (+48%) .735 (+40%) 3626.6
1940 NY1 NL 151 536 89 155 27 3 19 79 6 100 50 0.289 .267 (+8%) .335 (+21%) .387 (+18%) .722 (+19%) 2582.0
1941 NY1 NL 148 525 89 150 29 0 27 90 5 100 68 0.286 .262 (+9%) .332 (+21%) .373 (+33%) .705 (+27%) 3225.3
1942 NY1 NL 152 549 118 162 21 0 30 93 6 109 61 0.295 .253 (+16%) .323 (+28%) .349 (+42%) .672 (+35%) 4258.8
1943 NY1 NL 125 380 65 89 12 2 18 47 7 95 48 0.234 .255 (-9%) .324 (+20%) .346 (+21%) .671 (+21%) 1898.5
1944 NY1 NL 120 399 91 115 16 4 26 82 2 90 47 0.288 .261 (+10%) .325 (+30%) .357 (+52%) .683 (+41%) 3465.1
1945 NY1 NL 135 451 73 139 23 0 21 79 1 71 41 0.308 .260 (+18%) .328 (+25%) .354 (+41%) .683 (+33%) 3135.9
1946 NY1 NL 31 68 2 5 1 0 1 4 0 8 15 0.074 .256 (-71%) .328 (-48%) .358 (-63%) .687 (-56%) -621.6
1947 NY1 NL 4 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.000 — — — — 0.0

Postseason Statistics

Playoff Career Batting

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
16 61 8 18 2 0 4 10 8 9 0.295

Playoff Batting by Year

Year Round Team G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
1937 WS NY1 5 20 1 4 0 0 1 3 1 4 0.200
1936 WS NY1 6 23 4 7 2 0 1 3 3 1 0.304
1933 WS NY1 5 18 3 7 0 0 2 4 4 4 0.389

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
2B 6 0 18 14 2 4
3B 256 0 205 513 46 34
OF 2313 0 4511 256 98 60

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1926 NY1 OF 10 0 18 3 2 0
1927 NY1 OF 32 0 52 2 1 1
1928 NY1 2B 5 0 14 13 1 4
1928 NY1 3B 1 0 0 2 0 0
1928 NY1 OF 115 0 214 14 7 4
1929 NY1 2B 1 0 4 1 1 0
1929 NY1 OF 149 0 335 26 10 12
1930 NY1 OF 146 0 320 23 11 6
1931 NY1 OF 137 0 332 20 7 4
1932 NY1 OF 154 0 347 11 6 5
1933 NY1 OF 152 0 283 12 5 3
1934 NY1 OF 153 0 286 12 8 1
1935 NY1 3B 15 0 19 25 3 3
1935 NY1 OF 137 0 285 17 3 7
1936 NY1 OF 148 0 250 20 4 3
1937 NY1 3B 60 0 42 113 10 5
1937 NY1 OF 91 0 156 13 0 1
1938 NY1 3B 113 0 98 238 15 14
1938 NY1 OF 37 0 65 3 0 0
1939 NY1 3B 20 0 15 39 6 4
1939 NY1 OF 96 0 175 6 5 2
1940 NY1 3B 42 0 30 83 8 8
1940 NY1 OF 111 0 210 9 4 2
1941 NY1 OF 145 0 256 19 9 3
1942 NY1 OF 152 0 269 15 3 3
1943 NY1 3B 1 0 0 0 0 0
1943 NY1 OF 111 0 219 12 6 1
1944 NY1 3B 4 0 1 13 4 0
1944 NY1 OF 103 0 199 6 3 0
1945 NY1 OF 118 0 217 11 4 1
1946 NY1 OF 16 0 23 2 0 1

Career Games by Position

Position Games
Second Base 6
Third Base 256
Left Field 30
Center Field 140
Right Field 2161

Awards & Honors

Year Award Notes
1939 Baseball Magazine All-Star RF
1938 Baseball Magazine All-Star RF
1938 Baseball Magazine All-Star CF
1938 TSN All-Star OF
1936 TSN All-Star OF
1935 Baseball Magazine All-Star RF
1935 Baseball Magazine All-Star RF
1935 TSN All-Star OF
1934 Baseball Magazine All-Star CF
1934 Baseball Magazine All-Star CF
1934 TSN All-Star OF

Featured In Rankings

#20
Top 30 Outfielders in History of MLB Baseball
Ranked 20 of 30
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Award Voting History

Year Award League Finish Points Won Points Max Votes First
1945 Most Valuable Player NL 13th 22.0 336 0
1944 Most Valuable Player NL 16th 20.0 336 0
1943 Most Valuable Player NL 20th 9.0 336 0
1942 Most Valuable Player NL 3rd 190.0 336 4
1941 Most Valuable Player NL 19th 12.0 336 0
1939 Most Valuable Player NL 11th 21.0 336 0
1938 Most Valuable Player NL 4th 132.0 336 0
1937 Most Valuable Player NL 7th 24.0 80 0
1936 Most Valuable Player NL 6th 28.0 80 0
1935 Most Valuable Player NL 20th 3.0 80 0
1934 Most Valuable Player NL 5th 37.0 80 0
1932 Most Valuable Player NL 10th 15.0 80 0
1929 Most Valuable Player NL 11th 15.0 80 0