Luke Appling vs Rick Ferrell: Career Stats Comparison
Luke Appling has the better career line of the two, leading 14 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; Rick Ferrell played 1929–1947 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 Rick Ferrell (1929–1947) — 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; Rick Ferrell finished with 1,692 hits and 28 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Luke Appling, with 45 to Rick Ferrell's 28.
- Who had the higher OPS? Luke Appling, with .798 to Rick Ferrell's .741.
- Who had the higher batting average? Luke Appling, with .310 to Rick Ferrell's .281.
- Who had more hits? Luke Appling, with 2,749 to Rick Ferrell's 1,692.
- Who drove in more runs? Luke Appling, with 1,116 to Rick Ferrell's 734.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Luke Appling, with 25,114 career PIV to Rick Ferrell's 6,474.
Luke Appling
Rick Ferrell
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Luke Appling and Rick Ferrell. 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 | Rick Ferrell |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,422 | 1,884 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 8,856 | 6,028 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,319 | 687 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,749 | 1,692 |
| Doubles | Leads: 440 | 324 |
| Triples | Leads: 102 | 45 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 45 | 28 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,116 | 734 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,302 | 931 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 528 | 277 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 179 | 29 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .310 | .281 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .399 | .378 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .398 | .363 |
| OPS | Leads: .798 | .741 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Luke Appling outpaces Rick Ferrell 25,114 to 6,474 — driven by per-season impact — 1,256 PIV per season to 308 — rather than by longevity, since Luke Appling played 20 seasons to Rick Ferrell's 21. 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
Rick Ferrell — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Luke Appling leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Rick Ferrell owns no headline categories. 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 Rick Ferrell careers compare
Luke Appling and Rick Ferrell were active at the same time between 1930 and 1947. With 2,422 games against 1,884 across 20 and 21 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. Luke Appling leads every scored row of the table. Luke Appling walked more often than struck out (1,302 walks, 528 strikeouts); Rick Ferrell walked more often than struck out (931 walks, 277 strikeouts). On the bases, Luke Appling stole more often per game played (179 steals in 2,422 games for Luke Appling, 29 in 1,884 for Rick Ferrell).
Luke Appling vs Rick Ferrell: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Luke Appling or Rick Ferrell?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Luke Appling leads Rick Ferrell in 14 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Luke Appling or Rick Ferrell hit more home runs?
- Luke Appling, with 45 to Rick Ferrell's 28.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Luke Appling, with .798 to Rick Ferrell's .741.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Luke Appling, with .310 to Rick Ferrell's .281.
- Who had more hits?
- Luke Appling, with 2,749 to Rick Ferrell's 1,692.