Luke Appling vs Jackie Robinson: Career Stats Comparison
Luke Appling has the better career line of the two, leading 8 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; Jackie Robinson played 1947–1956 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 Jackie Robinson (1947–1956) — 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; Jackie Robinson finished with 1,568 hits and 141 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Jackie Robinson, with 141 to Luke Appling's 45.
- Who had the higher OPS? Jackie Robinson, with .887 to Luke Appling's .798.
- Who had the higher batting average? Jackie Robinson, with .313 to Luke Appling's .310.
- Who had more hits? Luke Appling, with 2,749 to Jackie Robinson's 1,568.
- Who drove in more runs? Luke Appling, with 1,116 to Jackie Robinson's 764.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Jackie Robinson, with 25,382 career PIV to Luke Appling's 25,114.
- Who won more championships? Jackie Robinson, with 1 World Series title to Luke Appling's 0.
Luke Appling
Jackie Robinson
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Luke Appling and Jackie Robinson. 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 | Jackie Robinson |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,422 | 1,418 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 8,856 | 5,006 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,319 | 974 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,749 | 1,568 |
| Doubles | Leads: 440 | 287 |
| Triples | Leads: 102 | 55 |
| Home Runs | 45 | Leads: 141 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,116 | 764 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,302 | 756 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 528 | 291 |
| Stolen Bases | 179 | Leads: 203 |
| Batting Avg | .310 | Leads: .313 |
| On-Base % | .399 | Leads: .410 |
| Slugging % | .398 | Leads: .477 |
| OPS | .798 | Leads: .887 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Jackie Robinson edges Luke Appling 25,382 to 25,114 — driven by per-season impact — 2,307 PIV per season to 1,256 — rather than by longevity, since Jackie Robinson played 11 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
Jackie Robinson — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Jackie Robinson leads in home runs, stolen bases, batting average, and OBP, while Luke Appling owns hits, RBI, and runs. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Jackie Robinson. PIV agrees: Jackie Robinson 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 Jackie Robinson careers compare
Luke Appling and Jackie Robinson were active at the same time between 1947 and 1950. Playing time explains much of the gap in the counting rows: Luke Appling appeared in 2,422 games to Jackie Robinson's 1,418. At the plate, Luke Appling walked more often than struck out (1,302 walks, 528 strikeouts), and Jackie Robinson walked more often than struck out (756 walks, 291 strikeouts). Jackie Robinson is the more power-leaning hitter, with 141 of 1,568 hits leaving the park. On the bases, Jackie Robinson stole more often per game played (179 steals in 2,422 games for Luke Appling, 203 in 1,418 for Jackie Robinson).
Luke Appling vs Jackie Robinson: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Luke Appling or Jackie Robinson?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Luke Appling leads Jackie Robinson in 8 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Luke Appling or Jackie Robinson hit more home runs?
- Jackie Robinson, with 141 to Luke Appling's 45.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Jackie Robinson, with .887 to Luke Appling's .798.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Jackie Robinson, with .313 to Luke Appling's .310.
- Who had more hits?
- Luke Appling, with 2,749 to Jackie Robinson's 1,568.