Mel Stottlemyre, baseball player, 1964-1974

Mel Stottlemyre

Born: 11/13/1941 in Hazleton, MO, USA

Died: 1/13/2019 in Seattle, WA, USA

MLB Debut: 1964-08-12 | Final Game: 1974-08-16

Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 6'1" | Weight: 178 lbs

Full name: Melvin Leon Stottlemyre

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Biography

Mel Stottlemyre was a prominent pitcher in Major League Baseball, renowned for his skill and consistency during a career that spanned from 1964 to 1974. Born in 1941, Stottlemyre made a significant impact on the game as a member of the New York Yankees during a transformative period in baseball history. Over his 11 seasons, he compiled a record of 164 wins and 139 losses, with a commendable earned run average (ERA) of 2.97. His ability to strike out batters was evident in his total of 1,257 strikeouts, showcasing his effectiveness on the mound. Stottlemyre was selected as an All-Star five times, underscoring his status as one of the elite pitchers of his era. His pitching style combined power and precision, allowing him to excel in a league that was becoming increasingly competitive. After retiring, Stottlemyre's legacy continued as he transitioned into coaching, where he influenced a new generation of pitchers. His contributions to the game and the Yankees remain celebrated, marking him as a key figure in baseball history.

Career Pitching Statistics

W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER HR BB SO ERA Pitcher PIV
164 139 360 356 152 40 1 2661.3 2435 878 171 809 1257 2.97 0

Career ERA 2.97 vs. league average 3.51 across their career seasons — 15.4% better than league average.

Season-by-Season Pitching

Year Team Lg W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER BB SO ERA Lg ERA Pitcher PIV
1964 NYY AL 9 3 13 12 5 2 0 96.0 77 22 35 49 2.06 3.58 (+42%) -
1965 NYY AL 20 9 37 37 18 4 0 291.0 250 85 88 155 2.63 3.50 (+25%) -
1966 NYY AL 12 20 37 35 9 3 1 251.0 239 106 82 146 3.80 3.52 (-8%) -
1967 NYY AL 15 15 36 36 10 4 0 255.0 235 84 88 151 2.96 3.30 (+10%) -
1968 NYY AL 21 12 36 36 19 6 0 278.7 243 76 65 140 2.45 2.98 (+18%) -
1969 NYY AL 20 14 39 39 24 3 0 303.0 267 95 97 113 2.82 3.61 (+22%) -
1970 NYY AL 15 13 37 37 14 0 0 271.0 262 93 84 126 3.09 3.89 (+21%) -
1971 NYY AL 16 12 35 35 19 7 0 269.7 234 86 69 132 2.87 3.47 (+17%) -
1972 NYY AL 14 18 36 36 9 7 0 260.0 250 93 85 110 3.22 3.26 (+1%) -
1973 NYY AL 16 16 38 38 19 4 0 273.0 259 93 79 95 3.07 3.75 (+18%) -
1974 NYY AL 6 7 16 15 6 0 0 113.0 119 45 37 40 3.58 3.63 (+1%) -

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
366 749 54 120 14 6 7 57 0 47 270 0.160 0.213 0.223 0.436 -4273.5

Career AVG .160 vs. league average .249 across their career seasons — 35.6% below league average.

Career OBP .213 vs. league average .315 across their career seasons — 32.5% below league average.

Career SLG .223 vs. league average .368 across their career seasons — 39.4% below league average.

Career OPS 0.436 vs. league average 0.683 across their career seasons — 36.3% below 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
1964 NYY AL 14 37 2 9 1 0 0 3 0 1 12 0.243 — — — — 0.0
1965 NYY AL 37 99 8 13 2 1 2 8 0 1 43 0.131 .245 (-47%) .310 (-55%) .371 (-37%) .682 (-45%) -754.1
1966 NYY AL 37 80 8 11 1 1 1 7 0 4 31 0.138 .248 (-45%) .309 (-43%) .376 (-44%) .685 (-43%) -583.3
1967 NYY AL 36 82 5 8 0 0 0 5 0 2 38 0.098 .242 (-60%) .306 (-61%) .357 (-73%) .663 (-67%) -863.6
1968 NYY AL 36 91 4 13 3 0 0 5 0 8 33 0.143 .236 (-40%) .298 (-30%) .340 (-48%) .638 (-40%) -547.1
1969 NYY AL 39 101 9 18 2 1 1 4 0 9 41 0.178 .248 (-28%) .320 (-22%) .369 (-33%) .689 (-28%) -469.1
1970 NYY AL 38 85 8 16 2 2 2 7 0 14 25 0.188 .253 (-26%) .325 (-7%) .385 (-15%) .711 (-11%) -148.1
1971 NYY AL 35 94 6 16 1 0 1 11 0 5 29 0.170 .249 (-32%) .316 (-34%) .365 (-42%) .682 (-38%) -587.3
1972 NYY AL 37 80 3 16 2 1 0 7 0 3 18 0.200 .243 (-18%) .310 (-20%) .353 (-29%) .664 (-25%) -320.9
1973 NYY AL 38 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
1974 NYY AL 19 0 1 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
3 8 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 6 0.125

Playoff Batting by Year

Year Round Team G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
1964 WS NYA 3 8 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 6 0.125

Playoff Career Pitching

W L G GS SV IP H ER BB SO ERA
1 1 3 3 0 20.0 18 7 6 12 3.15

Playoff Pitching by Year

Year Round Team W L G GS SV IP H ER BB SO ERA
1964 WS NYA 1 1 3 3 0 20.0 18 7 6 12 3.15

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
P 360 356 242 570 26 38

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1964 NYA P 13 12 7 20 2 3
1965 NYA P 37 37 30 74 1 3
1966 NYA P 37 35 27 54 3 5
1967 NYA P 36 36 36 60 5 4
1968 NYA P 36 36 20 54 0 0
1969 NYA P 39 39 24 88 5 3
1970 NYA P 37 37 22 51 1 3
1971 NYA P 35 35 23 55 4 6
1972 NYA P 36 36 19 52 0 7
1973 NYA P 38 38 27 48 5 4
1974 NYA P 16 15 7 14 0 0

Career Games by Position

Position Games
Pitcher 360

Awards & Honors

Year Award Notes
1965 TSN All-Star P

College History

School Name City State Years Attended
Yakima Valley Community College Yakima WA 1960, 1961

Award Voting History

Year Award League Finish Points Won Points Max Votes First
1969 Most Valuable Player AL 18th 8.0 336 0
1968 Most Valuable Player AL 10th 43.0 280 0
1965 Most Valuable Player AL 14th 17.0 280 0
1964 Most Valuable Player AL 25th 4.0 280 0