Lou Boudreau vs Arky Vaughan: Career Stats Comparison
Arky Vaughan has the better career line of the two, leading 13 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Lou Boudreau played 1938–1952 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
Lou Boudreau (1938–1952) and Arky Vaughan (1932–1948) — both broke in during the 1930s, which makes the head-to-head feel like a contemporaries' debate. Lou Boudreau finished with 1,779 hits and 68 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 hit more home runs? Arky Vaughan, with 96 to Lou Boudreau's 68.
- Who had the higher OPS? Arky Vaughan, with .859 to Lou Boudreau's .795.
- Who had the higher batting average? Arky Vaughan, with .318 to Lou Boudreau's .295.
- Who had more hits? Arky Vaughan, with 2,103 to Lou Boudreau's 1,779.
- Who drove in more runs? Arky Vaughan, with 926 to Lou Boudreau's 789.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Arky Vaughan, with 28,350 career PIV to Lou Boudreau's 17,260.
- Who won more championships? Lou Boudreau, with 1 World Series title to Arky Vaughan's 0.
Lou Boudreau
Arky Vaughan
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Lou Boudreau and Arky Vaughan. 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 | Lou Boudreau | Arky Vaughan |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,646 | Leads: 1,817 |
| At-Bats | 6,029 | Leads: 6,622 |
| Runs | 861 | Leads: 1,173 |
| Hits | 1,779 | Leads: 2,103 |
| Doubles | Leads: 385 | 356 |
| Triples | 66 | Leads: 128 |
| Home Runs | 68 | Leads: 96 |
| RBI | 789 | Leads: 926 |
| Walks | 796 | Leads: 937 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 309 | 276 |
| Stolen Bases | 51 | Leads: 118 |
| Batting Avg | .295 | Leads: .318 |
| On-Base % | .380 | Leads: .406 |
| Slugging % | .415 | Leads: .453 |
| OPS | .795 | Leads: .859 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Arky Vaughan outpaces Lou Boudreau 28,350 to 17,260 — driven by per-season impact — 2,025 PIV per season to 1,151 — rather than by longevity, since Arky Vaughan played 14 seasons to Lou Boudreau's 15. 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).
Lou Boudreau — top 3 seasons by OPS
Arky Vaughan — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Arky Vaughan leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Lou Boudreau owns no headline categories. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Arky Vaughan. PIV agrees: Arky Vaughan grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Lou Boudreau and Arky Vaughan careers compare
The careers of Lou Boudreau (1938–1952) and Arky Vaughan (1932–1948) overlapped from 1938 to 1948, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. The two careers are close in length, 1,646 games for Lou Boudreau and 1,817 for Arky Vaughan across 15 and 14 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Where Lou Boudreau comes out ahead, it is in doubles (385 to 356). At the plate, Lou Boudreau walked more often than struck out (796 walks, 309 strikeouts), and Arky Vaughan walked more often than struck out (937 walks, 276 strikeouts).
Lou Boudreau vs Arky Vaughan: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Lou Boudreau or Arky Vaughan?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Arky Vaughan leads Lou Boudreau in 13 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Lou Boudreau or Arky Vaughan hit more home runs?
- Arky Vaughan, with 96 to Lou Boudreau's 68.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Arky Vaughan, with .859 to Lou Boudreau's .795.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Arky Vaughan, with .318 to Lou Boudreau's .295.
- Who had more hits?
- Arky Vaughan, with 2,103 to Lou Boudreau's 1,779.