1964–1974 · P

Mel Stottlemyre

6' 1", 178 lbs·Lived to 78·Bats R / Throws R

All-Star

The Almanac's Take

The Yankees discovered something special in Stottlemyre's sinker, a pitch so devastating it made him an ace on mostly mediocre teams during baseball's dead-ball revival of the late 1960s. His 2.97 career ERA and 121 ERA+ tell the story of sustained excellence in an era when run scoring plummeted across the majors.

That 1964 rookie season remains remarkable — a 2.06 ERA with a 174 ERA+ suggests he was nearly twice as effective as the average pitcher. Stottlemyre's durability matched his effectiveness, averaging over 240 innings per season across 11 years while the Yankees struggled through their post-dynasty hangover.

Five All-Star selections underscore how respected he was among his peers, even as he labored for clubs that rarely contended. His sinker kept hitters off balance and groundballs in play, making him the kind of workhorse starter every rotation craves.

Career Highs

2.06

Best ERA · 1964

Most W · 1968

155

Most K · 1965

1.105

Best WHIP · 1968

Career Arc · OPS

9 seasons

Career Arc · ERA

11 seasons

Statistical Comps

Martin Perez

98%

2014 season

K/9 6.1 · BB/9 3.3 · HR/9 0.53 · SP

Jhoulys Chacin

97%

2013 season

K/9 5.8 · BB/9 2.8 · HR/9 0.50 · SP

Tim Hudson

97%

2012 season

K/9 5.1 · BB/9 2.4 · HR/9 0.60 · SP

Career · Hitting

11 seasons

Year	Team	G	AB	HR	RBI	AVG	OPS	OPS+
1964	NYY	14	37	0	3	.243	.552	—
1965	NYY	37	99	2	8	.131	.372	—
1966	NYY	37	80	1	7	.138	.389	—
1967	NYY	36	82	0	5	.098	.217	—
1968	NYY	36	91	0	5	.143	.386	—
1969	NYY	39	101	1	4	.178	.498	—
1970	NYY	38	85	2	7	.188	.632	89
1971	NYY	35	94	1	11	.170	.423	62
1972	NYY	37	80	0	7	.200	.497	75
1973	NYY	38	0	0	0	—	—	—
1974	NYY	19	0	0	0	—	—	—
Career		366	749	7	57	.160	—	—

Career · Pitching

11 seasons

Year	Team	G	IP	W	L	ERA	ERA+	SO	WHIP
1964	NYY	13	96.0	9	3	2.06	174	49	1.167
1965	NYY	37	291.0	20	9	2.63	133	155	1.162
1966	NYY	37	251.0	12	20	3.80	93	146	1.279
1967	NYY	36	255.0	15	15	2.96	111	151	1.267
1968	NYY	36	278.7	21	12	2.45	122	140	1.105
1969	NYY	39	303.0	20	14	2.82	128	113	1.201
1970	NYY	37	271.0	15	13	3.09	126	126	1.277
1971	NYY	35	269.7	16	12	2.87	121	132	1.124
1972	NYY	36	260.0	14	18	3.22	101	110	1.288
1973	NYY	38	273.0	16	16	3.07	122	95	1.238
1974	NYY	16	113.0	6	7	3.58	101	40	1.381
Career		360	2661.4	164	139	—	—	1257	—

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