Luke Appling vs Jim Bottomley: 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; Jim Bottomley played 1922–1937 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 Jim Bottomley (1922–1937) — 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; Jim Bottomley finished with 2,313 hits and 219 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Jim Bottomley, with 219 to Luke Appling's 45.
- Who had the higher OPS? Jim Bottomley, with .869 to Luke Appling's .798.
- Who had the higher batting average? Neither — both are at .310.
- Who had more hits? Luke Appling, with 2,749 to Jim Bottomley's 2,313.
- Who drove in more runs? Jim Bottomley, with 1,422 to Luke Appling's 1,116.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Jim Bottomley, with 25,340 career PIV to Luke Appling's 25,114.
- Who won more championships? Jim Bottomley, with 2 World Series titles to Luke Appling's 0.
Luke Appling
Jim Bottomley
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Luke Appling and Jim Bottomley. 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 | Jim Bottomley |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,422 | 1,991 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 8,856 | 7,471 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,319 | 1,177 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,749 | 2,313 |
| Doubles | 440 | Leads: 465 |
| Triples | 102 | Leads: 151 |
| Home Runs | 45 | Leads: 219 |
| RBI | 1,116 | Leads: 1,422 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,302 | 664 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 528 | 591 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 179 | 58 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .310 | .310 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .399 | .369 |
| Slugging % | .398 | Leads: .500 |
| OPS | .798 | Leads: .869 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Jim Bottomley edges Luke Appling 25,340 to 25,114 — driven by per-season impact — 1,584 PIV per season to 1,256 — rather than by longevity, since Jim Bottomley played 16 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
Jim Bottomley — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Luke Appling leads in hits, runs, stolen bases, and batting average, while Jim Bottomley owns home runs, RBI, and OPS. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Luke Appling. Note that PIV actually grades Jim Bottomley ahead, which means Luke Appling's edge is partly volume. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Luke Appling and Jim Bottomley careers compare
From 1930 through 1937, Luke Appling and Jim Bottomley were in the majors together. The two careers are close in length, 2,422 games for Luke Appling and 1,991 for Jim Bottomley across 20 and 16 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. At the plate, Luke Appling walked more often than struck out (1,302 walks, 528 strikeouts), and Jim Bottomley walked more often than struck out (664 walks, 591 strikeouts). Jim Bottomley is the more power-leaning hitter, with 219 of 2,313 hits leaving the park. On the bases, Luke Appling stole more often per game played (179 steals in 2,422 games for Luke Appling, 58 in 1,991 for Jim Bottomley).
Luke Appling vs Jim Bottomley: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Luke Appling or Jim Bottomley?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Luke Appling leads Jim Bottomley in 8 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Luke Appling or Jim Bottomley hit more home runs?
- Jim Bottomley, with 219 to Luke Appling's 45.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Jim Bottomley, with .869 to Luke Appling's .798.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Neither — both are at .310.
- Who had more hits?
- Luke Appling, with 2,749 to Jim Bottomley's 2,313.