Luke Appling vs George Sisler: Career Stats Comparison
George Sisler 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; George Sisler played 1915–1930 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 George Sisler (1915–1930) — they broke in during the 1930s and the 1910s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Luke Appling finished with 2,749 hits and 45 home runs; George Sisler finished with 2,812 hits and 102 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? George Sisler, with 102 to Luke Appling's 45.
- Who had the higher OPS? George Sisler, with .847 to Luke Appling's .798.
- Who had the higher batting average? George Sisler, with .340 to Luke Appling's .310.
- Who had more hits? George Sisler, with 2,812 to Luke Appling's 2,749.
- Who drove in more runs? George Sisler, with 1,175 to Luke Appling's 1,116.
- Who has the higher career PIV? George Sisler, with 29,261 career PIV to Luke Appling's 25,114.
Luke Appling
George Sisler
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Luke Appling and George Sisler. 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 1910s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Luke Appling | George Sisler |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,422 | 2,055 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 8,856 | 8,267 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,319 | 1,284 |
| Hits | 2,749 | Leads: 2,812 |
| Doubles | Leads: 440 | 425 |
| Triples | 102 | Leads: 164 |
| Home Runs | 45 | Leads: 102 |
| RBI | 1,116 | Leads: 1,175 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,302 | 472 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 528 | 327 |
| Stolen Bases | 179 | Leads: 375 |
| Batting Avg | .310 | Leads: .340 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .399 | .379 |
| Slugging % | .398 | Leads: .468 |
| OPS | .798 | Leads: .847 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), George Sisler leads Luke Appling 29,261 to 25,114 — driven by per-season impact — 1,829 PIV per season to 1,256 — rather than by longevity, since George Sisler 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
George Sisler — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, George Sisler leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and stolen bases, while Luke Appling owns runs and OBP. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to George Sisler. PIV agrees: George Sisler 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 George Sisler careers compare
The careers of Luke Appling (1930–1950) and George Sisler (1915–1930) overlapped from 1930 to 1930, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. With 2,422 games against 2,055 across 20 and 16 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. Luke Appling walked more often than struck out (1,302 walks, 528 strikeouts); George Sisler walked more often than struck out (472 walks, 327 strikeouts). Home runs make up a larger share of George Sisler's hits: 45 of 2,749 for Luke Appling, 102 of 2,812 for George Sisler. George Sisler was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played. George Sisler's slugging percentage of .468 tops Luke Appling's .398.
Luke Appling vs George Sisler: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Luke Appling or George Sisler?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, George Sisler leads Luke Appling in 8 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Luke Appling or George Sisler hit more home runs?
- George Sisler, with 102 to Luke Appling's 45.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- George Sisler, with .847 to Luke Appling's .798.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- George Sisler, with .340 to Luke Appling's .310.
- Who had more hits?
- George Sisler, with 2,812 to Luke Appling's 2,749.