Luke Appling vs Turkey Stearnes: 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; Turkey Stearnes played ?–1940 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 Turkey Stearnes (?–1940) — their careers are worth a careful side-by-side. Luke Appling finished with 2,749 hits and 45 home runs; Turkey Stearnes finished with 1,372 hits and 195 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Turkey Stearnes, with 195 to Luke Appling's 45.
- Who had the higher OPS? Turkey Stearnes, with 1.033 to Luke Appling's .798.
- Who had the higher batting average? Turkey Stearnes, with .347 to Luke Appling's .310.
- Who had more hits? Luke Appling, with 2,749 to Turkey Stearnes's 1,372.
- Who drove in more runs? Luke Appling, with 1,116 to Turkey Stearnes's 1,038.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Turkey Stearnes, with 28,010 career PIV to Luke Appling's 25,114.
Luke Appling
Turkey Stearnes
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Luke Appling and Turkey Stearnes. 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 | Turkey Stearnes |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,422 | 1,034 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 8,856 | 3,959 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,319 | 961 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,749 | 1,372 |
| Doubles | Leads: 440 | 243 |
| Triples | 102 | Leads: 122 |
| Home Runs | 45 | Leads: 195 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,116 | 1,038 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,302 | 429 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 528 | 11 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 179 | 141 |
| Batting Avg | .310 | Leads: .347 |
| On-Base % | .399 | Leads: .416 |
| Slugging % | .398 | Leads: .617 |
| OPS | .798 | Leads: 1.033 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Turkey Stearnes leads Luke Appling 28,010 to 25,114 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,273 PIV per season to 1,256, across 22 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
Turkey Stearnes — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Turkey Stearnes leads in home runs, batting average, OBP, and OPS, while Luke Appling owns hits, RBI, and runs. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Turkey Stearnes. PIV agrees: Turkey Stearnes 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 Turkey Stearnes careers compare
From 1940 through 1940, Luke Appling and Turkey Stearnes were in the majors together. The table compares 2,422 games of Luke Appling with 1,034 of Turkey Stearnes across 20 and 22 PIV seasons; totals favor the longer career by default. Luke Appling walked more often than struck out (1,302 walks, 528 strikeouts); Turkey Stearnes walked more often than struck out (429 walks, 11 strikeouts). Turkey Stearnes is the more power-leaning hitter, with 195 of 1,372 hits leaving the park. On the bases, Turkey Stearnes stole more often per game played (179 steals in 2,422 games for Luke Appling, 141 in 1,034 for Turkey Stearnes). Turkey Stearnes's slugging percentage of .617 tops Luke Appling's .398.
Luke Appling vs Turkey Stearnes: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Luke Appling or Turkey Stearnes?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Luke Appling leads Turkey Stearnes in 8 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Luke Appling or Turkey Stearnes hit more home runs?
- Turkey Stearnes, with 195 to Luke Appling's 45.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Turkey Stearnes, with 1.033 to Luke Appling's .798.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Turkey Stearnes, with .347 to Luke Appling's .310.
- Who had more hits?
- Luke Appling, with 2,749 to Turkey Stearnes's 1,372.