Luke Appling vs Paul Waner: Career Stats Comparison
Paul Waner has the better career line of the two, leading 12 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; Paul Waner played 1926–1945 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 Paul Waner (1926–1945) — 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; Paul Waner finished with 3,152 hits and 113 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Paul Waner, with 113 to Luke Appling's 45.
- Who had the higher OPS? Paul Waner, with .878 to Luke Appling's .798.
- Who had the higher batting average? Paul Waner, with .333 to Luke Appling's .310.
- Who had more hits? Paul Waner, with 3,152 to Luke Appling's 2,749.
- Who drove in more runs? Paul Waner, with 1,309 to Luke Appling's 1,116.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Paul Waner, with 40,296 career PIV to Luke Appling's 25,114.
Luke Appling
Paul Waner
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Luke Appling and Paul Waner. 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 | Paul Waner |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 2,422 | Leads: 2,549 |
| At-Bats | 8,856 | Leads: 9,459 |
| Runs | 1,319 | Leads: 1,627 |
| Hits | 2,749 | Leads: 3,152 |
| Doubles | 440 | Leads: 605 |
| Triples | 102 | Leads: 191 |
| Home Runs | 45 | Leads: 113 |
| RBI | 1,116 | Leads: 1,309 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,302 | 1,091 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 528 | 376 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 179 | 104 |
| Batting Avg | .310 | Leads: .333 |
| On-Base % | .399 | Leads: .404 |
| Slugging % | .398 | Leads: .473 |
| OPS | .798 | Leads: .878 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Paul Waner outpaces Luke Appling 40,296 to 25,114 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,832 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
Paul Waner — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Paul Waner leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Luke Appling owns stolen bases. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Paul Waner. PIV agrees: Paul Waner 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 Paul Waner careers compare
From 1930 through 1945, Luke Appling and Paul Waner were in the majors together. The two careers are close in length, 2,422 games for Luke Appling and 2,549 for Paul Waner across 20 and 22 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Where Luke Appling comes out ahead, it is in walks (1,302 to 1,091) and stolen bases (179 to 104). Luke Appling walked more often than struck out (1,302 walks, 528 strikeouts); Paul Waner walked more often than struck out (1,091 walks, 376 strikeouts). Paul Waner is the more power-leaning hitter, with 113 of 3,152 hits leaving the park.
Luke Appling vs Paul Waner: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Luke Appling or Paul Waner?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Paul Waner leads Luke Appling in 12 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Luke Appling or Paul Waner hit more home runs?
- Paul Waner, with 113 to Luke Appling's 45.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Paul Waner, with .878 to Luke Appling's .798.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Paul Waner, with .333 to Luke Appling's .310.
- Who had more hits?
- Paul Waner, with 3,152 to Luke Appling's 2,749.