Chartak was born in 1916, in Brooklyn, New York, and grew up in Carbondale, Pennsylvania. Mike played four seasons in the major leagues: 1940 with the New York Yankees; 1942 with the Yankees, Washington Senators, and St. Louis Browns; and 1943–1944 with the Browns. In his major league career, Chartak appeared in 256 games and had 186 hits, including 21 home runs, in 765 at bats. He appeared as a pinch hitter in two games of the 1944 World Series, the second appearance resulting in a strikeout to end the sixth and final game. His strikeout that ended the 1944 World Series was the last at-bat of his career.