Print this page

4. Mel Ott

4. Mel Ott
  1. General
  2. Awards
  3. Career Stats
  • Born: March 2, 1909 in Gretna, LA USA
  • Weight: 170 lbs.
  • Height: 5'9"
  • Bats: L
  • Throws: R
  • Debut: April 27, 1926
  • Final Game: July 11, 1947
  • Baseball Magazine All-Star - 1934
  • Baseball Magazine All-Star - 1934
  • TSN All-Star - 1934
  • Baseball Magazine All-Star - 1935
  • Baseball Magazine All-Star - 1935
  • TSN All-Star - 1935
  • TSN All-Star - 1936
  • Baseball Magazine All-Star - 1938
  • Baseball Magazine All-Star - 1938
  • TSN All-Star - 1938
  • Baseball Magazine All-Star - 1939
  • MVP - 1929
  • MVP - 1932
  • MVP - 1934
  • MVP - 1935
  • MVP - 1936
  • MVP - 1937
  • MVP - 1938
  • MVP - 1939
  • MVP - 1941
  • MVP - 1942
  • MVP - 1943
  • MVP - 1944
  • MVP - 1945
 
ABRHHRRBISBAVG
189123718575210223720178 0.304
 

Mel Ott was highly sought after as a teen, but his slight 5’ 9” frame made scouts pause.  The Giants signed him in 1926, and he would play for them that year, and was a starter in the Outfield two years later, making every team that passed on him curse their hesitation.

Ott did not look like a power hitter, but he was.  Smacking 42 Home Runs in 1929, Ott never had another 40-plus year, but he had seven more 30-plus ones, six of which were good enough to lead the National League.  No other player in the National League smacked more taters than Ott did in the 1930s.

Throughout that decade, the Giants were also very good.  Winning the pennant three times, Ott led New York to a title in the first one, 1933.  Ott was not just a power hitter; he batted over .300 ten times and knew how to work the count to get on base.  Ott led the NL in free passes six times and On Base Percentage four times.  

When the Majors began the All-Star Game in 1933, Ott participated in the second one, beginning 11 straight.  A two-time OPS leader, Ott was a fixture of greatness for years, but that was aided in that late in his career; he was not one of the players in the American Military during World War II.  Ott was also named a Player/Manager in 1941, though his skills were declining.

After barely playing in 1946 and 1947, Ott was released after the season.  Over his career, Ott blasted 511 Home Runs and had 1,860 RBI, 2,876 hits, and a 3/4/5 career Slash Line.  

In 1951, Ott entered Cooperstown in his third year on the ballot, three years after the Giants retired his #4.

The Bullet Points

  • Position: Third Base, Outfield
  • Acquired: Signed as a Free Agent 1/??/26.
  • Departed:

    Released 9/15/47.

  • Games Played: 2,730
  • Notable Statistics:

    1,859 Runs Scored
    2,876 Hits
    488 Doubles
    72 Triples
    511 Home Runs
    1,860 RBI
    89 Stolen Bases
    .304/.414/.533 Slash Line
    110.3 bWAR

    16 Playoff Games
    8 Runs Scored
    18 Hits
    2 Doubles
    0 Triples
    3 Home Runs
    10 RBI
    4 Stolen Bases
    .295/.477/.525 Slash Line

  • Major Accolades and Awards:

    World Series Champion (1933)
    All-Star (1934, 1935, 1936, 1937, 1938, 1939, 1940, 1941, 1942, 1943 & 1944)
    Highest bWAR by a Position Player (1932 & 1942)
    Highest Offensive bWAR (1938 & 1942)
    Highest On Base Percentage (1930, 1932, 1938 & 1939)
    Highest Slugging Percentage (1936)
    Highest OPS (1936 & 1942)
    Most Runs Scored (1938 & 1942)
    Most Home Runs (1932, 1934, 1936, 1937, 1938 & 1942)
    Most RBI (1934)
    Most Walks (1929, 1931, 1932, 1933, 1937 & 1942)
    Highest OPS+ (1932, 1934, 1936, 1938 & 1942)
    Most Intentional Walks (1934)
    Highest Win Probability Added (1929 & 1936)
    Highest Championship Win Probability Added (1933, 1934, 1935 & 1936)
    Most Putouts by a Rightfielder (1929)
    Most Assists by a Rightfielder (1929, 1935, 1940 & 1941)
    Most Double Plays Turned by a Leftfielder (1928, 1929 & 1935)
    Most Assists by an Outfielder (1929 & 1941)
    Most Double Plays Turned by an Outfielder (1929 & 1935)
    Most Total Zone Runs by a Rightfielder (1929)
    Highest Range Factor per Game by a Rightfielder (1932, 1935, 1936, 1942 & 1944)
    Highest Range Factor per Game by an Outfielder (1935)

Comments powered by CComment