Luke Appling vs Gil Hodges: Career Stats Comparison
Luke Appling has the better career line of the two, leading 10 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; Gil Hodges played 1943–1963 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 Gil Hodges (1943–1963) — 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; Gil Hodges finished with 1,921 hits and 370 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Gil Hodges, with 370 to Luke Appling's 45.
- Who had the higher OPS? Gil Hodges, with .846 to Luke Appling's .798.
- Who had the higher batting average? Luke Appling, with .310 to Gil Hodges's .273.
- Who had more hits? Luke Appling, with 2,749 to Gil Hodges's 1,921.
- Who drove in more runs? Gil Hodges, with 1,274 to Luke Appling's 1,116.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Luke Appling, with 25,114 career PIV to Gil Hodges's 24,928.
- Who won more championships? Gil Hodges, with 2 World Series titles to Luke Appling's 0.
Luke Appling
Gil Hodges
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Luke Appling and Gil Hodges. 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 | Gil Hodges |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,422 | 2,071 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 8,856 | 7,030 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,319 | 1,105 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,749 | 1,921 |
| Doubles | Leads: 440 | 295 |
| Triples | Leads: 102 | 48 |
| Home Runs | 45 | Leads: 370 |
| RBI | 1,116 | Leads: 1,274 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,302 | 943 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 528 | 1,137 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 179 | 63 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .310 | .273 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .399 | .359 |
| Slugging % | .398 | Leads: .487 |
| OPS | .798 | Leads: .846 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Luke Appling edges Gil Hodges 25,114 to 24,928 — a longevity gap rather than a per-season one: Luke Appling played 20 seasons to Gil Hodges's 18, while Gil Hodges carries the higher per-season figure (1,385 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
Gil Hodges — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Luke Appling leads in hits, runs, stolen bases, and batting average, while Gil Hodges owns home runs, RBI, 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 Gil Hodges careers compare
The careers of Luke Appling (1930–1950) and Gil Hodges (1943–1963) overlapped from 1943 to 1950, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. The two careers are close in length, 2,422 games for Luke Appling and 2,071 for Gil Hodges across 20 and 18 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. The green cells for Gil Hodges are home runs (370 to 45), RBI (1,274 to 1,116), and slugging percentage (.487 to .398). At the plate, Luke Appling walked more often than struck out (1,302 walks, 528 strikeouts), while Gil Hodges struck out more than walked (1,137 to 943).
Luke Appling vs Gil Hodges: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Luke Appling or Gil Hodges?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Luke Appling leads Gil Hodges in 10 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Luke Appling or Gil Hodges hit more home runs?
- Gil Hodges, with 370 to Luke Appling's 45.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Gil Hodges, with .846 to Luke Appling's .798.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Luke Appling, with .310 to Gil Hodges's .273.
- Who had more hits?
- Luke Appling, with 2,749 to Gil Hodges's 1,921.