Luke Appling vs Arky Vaughan: Career Stats Comparison
Luke Appling and Arky Vaughan are close to even, splitting the 12 scored categories on this page 6–6 (3 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Luke Appling played 1930–1950 as a hitter; Arky Vaughan played 1932–1948 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 Arky Vaughan (1932–1948) — both debuted in the 1930s. Luke Appling finished with 2,749 hits and 45 home runs; Arky Vaughan finished with 2,103 hits and 96 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who leads the career comparison? Neither — they split the 12 scored categories 6–6.
- Who hit more home runs? Arky Vaughan, with 96 to Luke Appling's 45.
- Who had the higher OPS? Arky Vaughan, with .859 to Luke Appling's .798.
- Who had the higher batting average? Arky Vaughan, with .318 to Luke Appling's .310.
- Who had more hits? Luke Appling, with 2,749 to Arky Vaughan's 2,103.
- Who drove in more runs? Luke Appling, with 1,116 to Arky Vaughan's 926.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Arky Vaughan, with 28,350 career PIV to Luke Appling's 25,114.
Luke Appling
Arky Vaughan
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Luke Appling and Arky Vaughan. Cells highlighted in green mark the category leader. 12 of the 15 lines below are scored; the other 3 are shown but not scored. Games and at-bats measure playing time, strikeouts accumulate with a longer career, and a line where both players are at zero was won by neither, so those are left unmarked. 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 | Arky Vaughan |
|---|---|---|
| Games not scored | 2,422 | 1,817 |
| At-Bats not scored | 8,856 | 6,622 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,319 | 1,173 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,749 | 2,103 |
| Doubles | Leads: 440 | 356 |
| Triples | 102 | Leads: 128 |
| Home Runs | 45 | Leads: 96 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,116 | 926 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,302 | 937 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 528 | 276 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 179 | 118 |
| Batting Avg | .310 | Leads: .318 |
| On-Base % | .399 | Leads: .406 |
| Slugging % | .398 | Leads: .453 |
| OPS | .798 | Leads: .859 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Arky Vaughan leads Luke Appling 28,350 to 25,114 — driven by per-season impact — 2,025 PIV per season to 1,256 — rather than by longevity, since Arky Vaughan played 14 seasons to Luke Appling's 20. PIV adjusts each season to league baselines, so it's the cleanest way to compare careers across eras.
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
Arky Vaughan — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
Luke Appling and Arky Vaughan split the 12 scored categories on the head-to-head card 6-6. On the raw scoreboard neither has the edge. PIV, which is era-adjusted, grades Arky Vaughan higher. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Luke Appling and Arky Vaughan careers compare
Luke Appling and Arky Vaughan were active at the same time between 1932 and 1948. The two careers are close in length, 2,422 games for Luke Appling and 1,817 for Arky Vaughan across 20 and 14 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Luke Appling walked more often than struck out (1,302 walks, 528 strikeouts); Arky Vaughan walked more often than struck out (937 walks, 276 strikeouts). Home runs make up a larger share of Arky Vaughan's hits: 45 of 2,749 for Luke Appling, 96 of 2,103 for Arky Vaughan.
Luke Appling vs Arky Vaughan: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Luke Appling or Arky Vaughan?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, neither leads: they split the 12 scored categories 6–6.
- Did Luke Appling or Arky Vaughan hit more home runs?
- Arky Vaughan, with 96 to Luke Appling's 45.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Arky Vaughan, with .859 to Luke Appling's .798.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Arky Vaughan, with .318 to Luke Appling's .310.
- Who had more hits?
- Luke Appling, with 2,749 to Arky Vaughan's 2,103.