Luke Appling vs Earl Averill: Career Stats Comparison
Luke Appling has the better career line of the two, leading 8 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Luke Appling played 1930–1950 as a hitter; Earl Averill played 1929–1941 as a hitter.
- AVG (Batting Average):
- Hits divided by at bats. .300 is the traditional mark of an excellent hitter.
- HR (Home Runs):
- Hits on which the batter circled the bases and scored, almost always by clearing the outfield fence.
- RBI (Runs Batted In):
- Runs that scored as a direct result of a batter's plate appearance.
- OPS (On-Base Plus Slugging):
- On-base percentage plus slugging percentage, the quickest single summary of offensive value. .900 or better is star-level.
Data updated
Luke Appling (1930–1950) and Earl Averill (1929–1941) — they broke in during the 1930s and the 1920s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Luke Appling finished with 2,749 hits and 45 home runs; Earl Averill finished with 2,019 hits and 238 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Earl Averill, with 238 to Luke Appling's 45.
- Who had the higher OPS? Earl Averill, with .928 to Luke Appling's .798.
- Who had the higher batting average? Earl Averill, with .318 to Luke Appling's .310.
- Who had more hits? Luke Appling, with 2,749 to Earl Averill's 2,019.
- Who drove in more runs? Earl Averill, with 1,164 to Luke Appling's 1,116.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Earl Averill, with 33,953 career PIV to Luke Appling's 25,114.
Luke Appling
Earl Averill
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Luke Appling and Earl Averill. Cells highlighted in green mark the category leader. 14 of the 15 lines below are scored; the other one is a counting total on which fewer is not an achievement, so no one is awarded it. Counting stats reward longevity, and strikeouts are left unmarked because a longer career accumulates more of them. Rate stats are not era-adjusted, and the 1930s and the 1920s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Luke Appling | Earl Averill |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,422 | 1,668 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 8,856 | 6,353 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,319 | 1,224 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,749 | 2,019 |
| Doubles | Leads: 440 | 401 |
| Triples | 102 | Leads: 128 |
| Home Runs | 45 | Leads: 238 |
| RBI | 1,116 | Leads: 1,164 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,302 | 774 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 528 | 518 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 179 | 70 |
| Batting Avg | .310 | Leads: .318 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .399 | .395 |
| Slugging % | .398 | Leads: .534 |
| OPS | .798 | Leads: .928 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Earl Averill outpaces Luke Appling 33,953 to 25,114 — driven by per-season impact — 2,425 PIV per season to 1,256 — rather than by longevity, since Earl Averill played 14 seasons to Luke Appling's 20. PIV adjusts each season to league baselines, so it's the cleanest way to compare careers across eras.
PIV is computed through the 2025 season. The career totals on this page include 2026 to date, so PIV does not yet reflect the 2026 season.
Peak Seasons
The best single seasons each player produced, ranked by OPS among qualified workloads (300+ at-bats).
Luke Appling — top 3 seasons by OPS
Earl Averill — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Earl Averill leads in home runs, RBI, batting average, and OPS, while Luke Appling owns hits, runs, and stolen bases. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Earl Averill. PIV agrees: Earl Averill grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Luke Appling and Earl Averill careers compare
From 1930 through 1941, Luke Appling and Earl Averill were in the majors together. With 2,422 games against 1,668 across 20 and 14 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. Luke Appling walked more often than struck out (1,302 walks, 528 strikeouts); Earl Averill walked more often than struck out (774 walks, 518 strikeouts). Earl Averill is the more power-leaning hitter, with 238 of 2,019 hits leaving the park. On the bases, Luke Appling stole more often per game played (179 steals in 2,422 games for Luke Appling, 70 in 1,668 for Earl Averill). Earl Averill's slugging percentage of .534 tops Luke Appling's .398.
Luke Appling vs Earl Averill: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Luke Appling or Earl Averill?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Luke Appling leads Earl Averill in 8 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Luke Appling or Earl Averill hit more home runs?
- Earl Averill, with 238 to Luke Appling's 45.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Earl Averill, with .928 to Luke Appling's .798.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Earl Averill, with .318 to Luke Appling's .310.
- Who had more hits?
- Luke Appling, with 2,749 to Earl Averill's 2,019.