Luke Appling vs Kiki Cuyler: 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; Kiki Cuyler played 1921–1938 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 Kiki Cuyler (1921–1938) — 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; Kiki Cuyler finished with 2,299 hits and 128 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Kiki Cuyler, with 128 to Luke Appling's 45.
- Who had the higher OPS? Kiki Cuyler, with .860 to Luke Appling's .798.
- Who had the higher batting average? Kiki Cuyler, with .321 to Luke Appling's .310.
- Who had more hits? Luke Appling, with 2,749 to Kiki Cuyler's 2,299.
- Who drove in more runs? Luke Appling, with 1,116 to Kiki Cuyler's 1,065.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Luke Appling, with 25,114 career PIV to Kiki Cuyler's 23,675.
- Who won more championships? Kiki Cuyler, with 1 World Series title to Luke Appling's 0.
Luke Appling
Kiki Cuyler
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Luke Appling and Kiki Cuyler. 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 | Kiki Cuyler |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,422 | 1,879 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 8,856 | 7,161 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,319 | 1,305 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,749 | 2,299 |
| Doubles | Leads: 440 | 394 |
| Triples | 102 | Leads: 157 |
| Home Runs | 45 | Leads: 128 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,116 | 1,065 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,302 | 676 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 528 | 752 |
| Stolen Bases | 179 | Leads: 328 |
| Batting Avg | .310 | Leads: .321 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .399 | .386 |
| Slugging % | .398 | Leads: .474 |
| OPS | .798 | Leads: .860 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Luke Appling edges Kiki Cuyler 25,114 to 23,675 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,256 PIV per season to 1,246, 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
Kiki Cuyler — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Luke Appling leads in hits, RBI, runs, and OBP, while Kiki Cuyler owns home runs, stolen bases, and batting average. 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 Kiki Cuyler careers compare
The careers of Luke Appling (1930–1950) and Kiki Cuyler (1921–1938) overlapped from 1930 to 1938, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. The two careers are close in length, 2,422 games for Luke Appling and 1,879 for Kiki Cuyler across 20 and 19 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Plate discipline differs: Luke Appling walked more often than struck out (1,302 walks, 528 strikeouts), but Kiki Cuyler struck out more than walked (752 to 676). Home runs make up a larger share of Kiki Cuyler's hits: 45 of 2,749 for Luke Appling, 128 of 2,299 for Kiki Cuyler.
Luke Appling vs Kiki Cuyler: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Luke Appling or Kiki Cuyler?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Luke Appling leads Kiki Cuyler in 8 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Luke Appling or Kiki Cuyler hit more home runs?
- Kiki Cuyler, with 128 to Luke Appling's 45.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Kiki Cuyler, with .860 to Luke Appling's .798.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Kiki Cuyler, with .321 to Luke Appling's .310.
- Who had more hits?
- Luke Appling, with 2,749 to Kiki Cuyler's 2,299.