Luke Appling vs Johnny Mize: 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; Johnny Mize played 1936–1953 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 Johnny Mize (1936–1953) — both broke in during the 1930s, which makes the head-to-head feel like a contemporaries' debate. Luke Appling finished with 2,749 hits and 45 home runs; Johnny Mize finished with 2,011 hits and 359 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Johnny Mize, with 359 to Luke Appling's 45.
- Who had the higher OPS? Johnny Mize, with .959 to Luke Appling's .798.
- Who had the higher batting average? Johnny Mize, with .312 to Luke Appling's .310.
- Who had more hits? Luke Appling, with 2,749 to Johnny Mize's 2,011.
- Who drove in more runs? Johnny Mize, with 1,337 to Luke Appling's 1,116.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Johnny Mize, with 43,061 career PIV to Luke Appling's 25,114.
- Who won more championships? Johnny Mize, with 5 World Series titles to Luke Appling's 0.
Luke Appling
Johnny Mize
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Luke Appling and Johnny Mize. 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 | Johnny Mize |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,422 | 1,884 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 8,856 | 6,443 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,319 | 1,118 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,749 | 2,011 |
| Doubles | Leads: 440 | 367 |
| Triples | Leads: 102 | 83 |
| Home Runs | 45 | Leads: 359 |
| RBI | 1,116 | Leads: 1,337 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,302 | 856 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 528 | 524 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 179 | 28 |
| Batting Avg | .310 | Leads: .312 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .399 | .397 |
| Slugging % | .398 | Leads: .562 |
| OPS | .798 | Leads: .959 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Johnny Mize outpaces Luke Appling 43,061 to 25,114 — driven by per-season impact — 2,691 PIV per season to 1,256 — rather than by longevity, since Johnny Mize played 16 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
Johnny Mize — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Johnny Mize leads in home runs, RBI, batting average, and OPS, while Luke Appling owns hits, runs, and stolen bases. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Johnny Mize. PIV agrees: Johnny Mize 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 Johnny Mize careers compare
From 1936 through 1950, Luke Appling and Johnny Mize were in the majors together. The two careers are close in length, 2,422 games for Luke Appling and 1,884 for Johnny Mize across 20 and 16 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Luke Appling walked more often than struck out (1,302 walks, 528 strikeouts); Johnny Mize walked more often than struck out (856 walks, 524 strikeouts). Home runs make up a larger share of Johnny Mize's hits: 45 of 2,749 for Luke Appling, 359 of 2,011 for Johnny Mize. Luke Appling was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played. Johnny Mize's slugging percentage of .562 tops Luke Appling's .398.
Luke Appling vs Johnny Mize: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Luke Appling or Johnny Mize?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Luke Appling leads Johnny Mize in 9 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Luke Appling or Johnny Mize hit more home runs?
- Johnny Mize, with 359 to Luke Appling's 45.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Johnny Mize, with .959 to Luke Appling's .798.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Johnny Mize, with .312 to Luke Appling's .310.
- Who had more hits?
- Luke Appling, with 2,749 to Johnny Mize's 2,011.