Luke Appling vs Earle Combs: Career Stats Comparison
Luke Appling has the better career line of the two, leading 9 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; Earle Combs played 1924–1935 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 Earle Combs (1924–1935) — 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; Earle Combs finished with 1,866 hits and 58 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Earle Combs, with 58 to Luke Appling's 45.
- Who had the higher OPS? Earle Combs, with .859 to Luke Appling's .798.
- Who had the higher batting average? Earle Combs, with .325 to Luke Appling's .310.
- Who had more hits? Luke Appling, with 2,749 to Earle Combs's 1,866.
- Who drove in more runs? Luke Appling, with 1,116 to Earle Combs's 632.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Luke Appling, with 25,114 career PIV to Earle Combs's 19,222.
- Who won more championships? Earle Combs, with 3 World Series titles to Luke Appling's 0.
Luke Appling
Earle Combs
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Luke Appling and Earle Combs. 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 | Earle Combs |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,422 | 1,455 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 8,856 | 5,746 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,319 | 1,186 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,749 | 1,866 |
| Doubles | Leads: 440 | 309 |
| Triples | 102 | Leads: 154 |
| Home Runs | 45 | Leads: 58 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,116 | 632 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,302 | 670 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 528 | 278 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 179 | 96 |
| Batting Avg | .310 | Leads: .325 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .399 | .397 |
| Slugging % | .398 | Leads: .462 |
| OPS | .798 | Leads: .859 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Luke Appling leads Earle Combs 25,114 to 19,222 — a longevity gap rather than a per-season one: Luke Appling played 20 seasons to Earle Combs's 12, while Earle Combs carries the higher per-season figure (1,602 to 1,256). 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
Earle Combs — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Luke Appling leads in hits, RBI, runs, and stolen bases, while Earle Combs owns home runs, batting average, 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 Earle Combs careers compare
From 1930 through 1935, Luke Appling and Earle Combs were in the majors together. The table compares 2,422 games of Luke Appling with 1,455 of Earle Combs across 20 and 12 PIV seasons; totals favor the longer career by default. Luke Appling walked more often than struck out (1,302 walks, 528 strikeouts); Earle Combs walked more often than struck out (670 walks, 278 strikeouts). Earle Combs is the more power-leaning hitter, with 58 of 1,866 hits leaving the park. On the bases, Luke Appling stole more often per game played (179 steals in 2,422 games for Luke Appling, 96 in 1,455 for Earle Combs). Earle Combs's slugging percentage of .462 tops Luke Appling's .398.
Luke Appling vs Earle Combs: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Luke Appling or Earle Combs?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Luke Appling leads Earle Combs in 9 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Luke Appling or Earle Combs hit more home runs?
- Earle Combs, with 58 to Luke Appling's 45.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Earle Combs, with .859 to Luke Appling's .798.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Earle Combs, with .325 to Luke Appling's .310.
- Who had more hits?
- Luke Appling, with 2,749 to Earle Combs's 1,866.