Luke Appling vs Roy Campanella: Career Stats Comparison
Luke Appling has the better career line of the two, leading 11 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; Roy Campanella played 1948–1957 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 Roy Campanella (1948–1957) — they broke in during the 1930s and the 1940s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Luke Appling finished with 2,749 hits and 45 home runs; Roy Campanella finished with 1,427 hits and 260 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Roy Campanella, with 260 to Luke Appling's 45.
- Who had the higher OPS? Roy Campanella, with .859 to Luke Appling's .798.
- Who had the higher batting average? Luke Appling, with .310 to Roy Campanella's .283.
- Who had more hits? Luke Appling, with 2,749 to Roy Campanella's 1,427.
- Who drove in more runs? Luke Appling, with 1,116 to Roy Campanella's 1,015.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Luke Appling, with 25,114 career PIV to Roy Campanella's 19,598.
- Who won more championships? Roy Campanella, with 1 World Series title to Luke Appling's 0.
Luke Appling
Roy Campanella
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Luke Appling and Roy Campanella. 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 1940s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Luke Appling | Roy Campanella |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,422 | 1,455 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 8,856 | 5,050 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,319 | 787 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,749 | 1,427 |
| Doubles | Leads: 440 | 235 |
| Triples | Leads: 102 | 32 |
| Home Runs | 45 | Leads: 260 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,116 | 1,015 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,302 | 608 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 528 | 514 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 179 | 39 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .310 | .283 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .399 | .363 |
| Slugging % | .398 | Leads: .496 |
| OPS | .798 | Leads: .859 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Luke Appling leads Roy Campanella 25,114 to 19,598 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,256 PIV per season to 1,031, across 20 seasons to 19. 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
Roy Campanella — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Luke Appling leads in hits, RBI, runs, and stolen bases, while Roy Campanella owns home runs and OPS. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Luke Appling. PIV agrees: Luke Appling 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 Roy Campanella careers compare
Luke Appling and Roy Campanella were active at the same time between 1948 and 1950. Playing time explains much of the gap in the counting rows: Luke Appling appeared in 2,422 games to Roy Campanella's 1,455. Roy Campanella's edges on the table are home runs (260 to 45), slugging percentage (.496 to .398), and OPS (.859 to .798). Luke Appling walked more often than struck out (1,302 walks, 528 strikeouts); Roy Campanella walked more often than struck out (608 walks, 514 strikeouts). Roy Campanella is the more power-leaning hitter, with 260 of 1,427 hits leaving the park.
Luke Appling vs Roy Campanella: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Luke Appling or Roy Campanella?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Luke Appling leads Roy Campanella in 11 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Luke Appling or Roy Campanella hit more home runs?
- Roy Campanella, with 260 to Luke Appling's 45.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Roy Campanella, with .859 to Luke Appling's .798.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Luke Appling, with .310 to Roy Campanella's .283.
- Who had more hits?
- Luke Appling, with 2,749 to Roy Campanella's 1,427.