Luke Appling vs Pee Wee Reese: Career Stats Comparison
Luke Appling has the better career line of the two, leading 11 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; Pee Wee Reese played 1940–1958 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 Pee Wee Reese (1940–1958) — 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; Pee Wee Reese finished with 2,170 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? Pee Wee Reese, with 126 to Luke Appling's 45.
- Who had the higher OPS? Luke Appling, with .798 to Pee Wee Reese's .743.
- Who had the higher batting average? Luke Appling, with .310 to Pee Wee Reese's .269.
- Who had more hits? Luke Appling, with 2,749 to Pee Wee Reese's 2,170.
- Who drove in more runs? Luke Appling, with 1,116 to Pee Wee Reese's 885.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Luke Appling, with 25,114 career PIV to Pee Wee Reese's 10,057.
- Who won more championships? Pee Wee Reese, with 1 World Series title to Luke Appling's 0.
Luke Appling
Pee Wee Reese
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Luke Appling and Pee Wee Reese. 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 | Pee Wee Reese |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,422 | 2,166 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 8,856 | 8,058 |
| Runs | 1,319 | Leads: 1,338 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,749 | 2,170 |
| Doubles | Leads: 440 | 330 |
| Triples | Leads: 102 | 80 |
| Home Runs | 45 | Leads: 126 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,116 | 885 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,302 | 1,210 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 528 | 890 |
| Stolen Bases | 179 | Leads: 232 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .310 | .269 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .399 | .366 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .398 | .377 |
| OPS | Leads: .798 | .743 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Luke Appling outpaces Pee Wee Reese 25,114 to 10,057 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,256 PIV per season to 629, across 20 seasons to 16. 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
Pee Wee Reese — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Luke Appling leads in hits, RBI, batting average, and OBP, while Pee Wee Reese owns home runs, runs, and stolen bases. 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 Pee Wee Reese careers compare
From 1940 through 1950, Luke Appling and Pee Wee Reese were in the majors together. The two careers are close in length, 2,422 games for Luke Appling and 2,166 for Pee Wee Reese across 20 and 16 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. The green cells for Pee Wee Reese are runs (1,338 to 1,319), home runs (126 to 45), and stolen bases (232 to 179). Luke Appling walked more often than struck out (1,302 walks, 528 strikeouts); Pee Wee Reese walked more often than struck out (1,210 walks, 890 strikeouts). Pee Wee Reese is the more power-leaning hitter, with 126 of 2,170 hits leaving the park.
Luke Appling vs Pee Wee Reese: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Luke Appling or Pee Wee Reese?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Luke Appling leads Pee Wee Reese in 11 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Luke Appling or Pee Wee Reese hit more home runs?
- Pee Wee Reese, with 126 to Luke Appling's 45.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Luke Appling, with .798 to Pee Wee Reese's .743.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Luke Appling, with .310 to Pee Wee Reese's .269.
- Who had more hits?
- Luke Appling, with 2,749 to Pee Wee Reese's 2,170.