Luke Appling vs Al Simmons: Career Stats Comparison
Al Simmons 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; Al Simmons played 1924–1944 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 Al Simmons (1924–1944) — they broke in during the 1930s and the 1920s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Luke Appling finished with 2,749 hits and 45 home runs; Al Simmons finished with 2,927 hits and 307 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Al Simmons, with 307 to Luke Appling's 45.
- Who had the higher OPS? Al Simmons, with .915 to Luke Appling's .798.
- Who had the higher batting average? Al Simmons, with .334 to Luke Appling's .310.
- Who had more hits? Al Simmons, with 2,927 to Luke Appling's 2,749.
- Who drove in more runs? Al Simmons, with 1,827 to Luke Appling's 1,116.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Al Simmons, with 40,529 career PIV to Luke Appling's 25,114.
- Who won more championships? Al Simmons, with 2 World Series titles to Luke Appling's 0.
Luke Appling
Al Simmons
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Luke Appling and Al Simmons. 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 1920s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Luke Appling | Al Simmons |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,422 | 2,215 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 8,856 | 8,759 |
| Runs | 1,319 | Leads: 1,507 |
| Hits | 2,749 | Leads: 2,927 |
| Doubles | 440 | Leads: 539 |
| Triples | 102 | Leads: 149 |
| Home Runs | 45 | Leads: 307 |
| RBI | 1,116 | Leads: 1,827 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,302 | 615 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 528 | 737 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 179 | 88 |
| Batting Avg | .310 | Leads: .334 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .399 | .380 |
| Slugging % | .398 | Leads: .535 |
| OPS | .798 | Leads: .915 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Al Simmons outpaces Luke Appling 40,529 to 25,114 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,930 PIV per season to 1,256, across 21 seasons to 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
Al Simmons — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Al Simmons leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Luke Appling owns stolen bases and OBP. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Al Simmons. PIV agrees: Al Simmons 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 Al Simmons careers compare
From 1930 through 1944, Luke Appling and Al Simmons were in the majors together. The two careers are close in length, 2,422 games for Luke Appling and 2,215 for Al Simmons across 20 and 21 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Plate discipline differs: Luke Appling walked more often than struck out (1,302 walks, 528 strikeouts), but Al Simmons struck out more than walked (737 to 615). Al Simmons is the more power-leaning hitter, with 307 of 2,927 hits leaving the park. On the bases, Luke Appling stole more often per game played (179 steals in 2,422 games for Luke Appling, 88 in 2,215 for Al Simmons).
Luke Appling vs Al Simmons: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Luke Appling or Al Simmons?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Al Simmons leads Luke Appling in 9 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Luke Appling or Al Simmons hit more home runs?
- Al Simmons, with 307 to Luke Appling's 45.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Al Simmons, with .915 to Luke Appling's .798.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Al Simmons, with .334 to Luke Appling's .310.
- Who had more hits?
- Al Simmons, with 2,927 to Luke Appling's 2,749.