Luke Appling vs Josh Gibson: 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; Josh Gibson played ?–1946 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 Josh Gibson (?–1946) — their careers are worth a careful side-by-side. Luke Appling finished with 2,749 hits and 45 home runs; Josh Gibson finished with 1,007 hits and 197 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Josh Gibson, with 197 to Luke Appling's 45.
- Who had the higher OPS? Josh Gibson, with 1.136 to Luke Appling's .798.
- Who had the higher batting average? Josh Gibson, with .364 to Luke Appling's .310.
- Who had more hits? Luke Appling, with 2,749 to Josh Gibson's 1,007.
- Who drove in more runs? Luke Appling, with 1,116 to Josh Gibson's 872.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Josh Gibson, with 28,319 career PIV to Luke Appling's 25,114.
- Who won more championships? Josh Gibson, with 2 World Series titles to Luke Appling's 0.
Luke Appling
Josh Gibson
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Luke Appling and Josh Gibson. 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, so read them against the run environment each player worked in, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Luke Appling | Josh Gibson |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,422 | 766 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 8,856 | 2,768 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,319 | 733 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,749 | 1,007 |
| Doubles | Leads: 440 | 170 |
| Triples | Leads: 102 | 72 |
| Home Runs | 45 | Leads: 197 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,116 | 872 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,302 | 400 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 528 | 20 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 179 | 44 |
| Batting Avg | .310 | Leads: .364 |
| On-Base % | .399 | Leads: .446 |
| Slugging % | .398 | Leads: .691 |
| OPS | .798 | Leads: 1.136 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Josh Gibson leads Luke Appling 28,319 to 25,114 — driven by per-season impact — 1,666 PIV per season to 1,256 — rather than by longevity, since Josh Gibson played 17 seasons to Luke Appling's 20. 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
Josh Gibson
No seasons meet the qualifying workload, so there is no peak-season list to show.
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Josh Gibson leads in home runs, batting average, OBP, and OPS, while Luke Appling owns hits, RBI, and runs. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Josh Gibson. PIV agrees: Josh Gibson 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 Josh Gibson careers compare
From 1946 through 1946, Luke Appling and Josh Gibson were in the majors together. The table compares 2,422 games of Luke Appling with 766 of Josh Gibson across 20 and 17 PIV seasons; totals favor the longer career by default. Luke Appling walked more often than struck out (1,302 walks, 528 strikeouts); Josh Gibson walked more often than struck out (400 walks, 20 strikeouts). Home runs make up a larger share of Josh Gibson's hits: 45 of 2,749 for Luke Appling, 197 of 1,007 for Josh Gibson. On the bases, Luke Appling stole more often per game played (179 steals in 2,422 games for Luke Appling, 44 in 766 for Josh Gibson).
Luke Appling vs Josh Gibson: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Luke Appling or Josh Gibson?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Luke Appling leads Josh Gibson in 9 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Luke Appling or Josh Gibson hit more home runs?
- Josh Gibson, with 197 to Luke Appling's 45.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Josh Gibson, with 1.136 to Luke Appling's .798.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Josh Gibson, with .364 to Luke Appling's .310.
- Who had more hits?
- Luke Appling, with 2,749 to Josh Gibson's 1,007.