Luke Appling vs Al Dark: Career Stats Comparison
Luke Appling has the better career line of the two, leading 12 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; Al Dark played 1946–1960 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 Al Dark (1946–1960) — 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; Al Dark finished with 2,089 hits and 126 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Al Dark, with 126 to Luke Appling's 45.
- Who had the higher OPS? Luke Appling, with .798 to Al Dark's .744.
- Who had the higher batting average? Luke Appling, with .310 to Al Dark's .289.
- Who had more hits? Luke Appling, with 2,749 to Al Dark's 2,089.
- Who drove in more runs? Luke Appling, with 1,116 to Al Dark's 757.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Luke Appling, with 25,114 career PIV to Al Dark's 3,492.
- Who won more championships? Al Dark, with 1 World Series title to Luke Appling's 0.
Luke Appling
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Luke Appling and Al Dark. 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 | Al Dark |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,422 | 1,828 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 8,856 | 7,219 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,319 | 1,064 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,749 | 2,089 |
| Doubles | Leads: 440 | 358 |
| Triples | Leads: 102 | 72 |
| Home Runs | 45 | Leads: 126 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,116 | 757 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,302 | 430 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 528 | 534 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 179 | 59 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .310 | .289 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .399 | .333 |
| Slugging % | .398 | Leads: .411 |
| OPS | Leads: .798 | .744 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Luke Appling outpaces Al Dark 25,114 to 3,492 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,256 PIV per season to 205, across 20 seasons to 17. 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
Al Dark — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Luke Appling leads in hits, RBI, runs, and stolen bases, while Al Dark owns home runs. 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 Al Dark careers compare
Luke Appling and Al Dark were active at the same time between 1946 and 1950. The two careers are close in length, 2,422 games for Luke Appling and 1,828 for Al Dark across 20 and 17 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Where Al Dark comes out ahead, it is in home runs (126 to 45) and slugging percentage (.411 to .398). At the plate, Luke Appling walked more often than struck out (1,302 walks, 528 strikeouts), while Al Dark struck out more than walked (534 to 430). Al Dark is the more power-leaning hitter, with 126 of 2,089 hits leaving the park.
Luke Appling vs Al Dark: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Luke Appling or Al Dark?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Luke Appling leads Al Dark in 12 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Luke Appling or Al Dark hit more home runs?
- Al Dark, with 126 to Luke Appling's 45.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Luke Appling, with .798 to Al Dark's .744.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Luke Appling, with .310 to Al Dark's .289.
- Who had more hits?
- Luke Appling, with 2,749 to Al Dark's 2,089.