Earle Combs vs Arky Vaughan: Career Stats Comparison
Arky Vaughan has the better career line of the two, leading 10 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Earle Combs played 1924–1935 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
Earle Combs (1924–1935) and Arky Vaughan (1932–1948) — they broke in during the 1920s and the 1930s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Earle Combs finished with 1,866 hits and 58 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 Earle Combs's 58.
- Who had the higher OPS? Neither — both are at .859.
- Who had the higher batting average? Earle Combs, with .325 to Arky Vaughan's .318.
- Who had more hits? Arky Vaughan, with 2,103 to Earle Combs's 1,866.
- Who drove in more runs? Arky Vaughan, with 926 to Earle Combs's 632.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Arky Vaughan, with 28,350 career PIV to Earle Combs's 19,222.
- Who won more championships? Earle Combs, with 3 World Series titles to Arky Vaughan's 0.
Earle Combs
Arky Vaughan
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Earle Combs 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, and the 1920s and the 1930s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Earle Combs | Arky Vaughan |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,455 | Leads: 1,817 |
| At-Bats | 5,746 | Leads: 6,622 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,186 | 1,173 |
| Hits | 1,866 | Leads: 2,103 |
| Doubles | 309 | Leads: 356 |
| Triples | Leads: 154 | 128 |
| Home Runs | 58 | Leads: 96 |
| RBI | 632 | Leads: 926 |
| Walks | 670 | Leads: 937 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 278 | 276 |
| Stolen Bases | 96 | Leads: 118 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .325 | .318 |
| On-Base % | .397 | Leads: .406 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .462 | .453 |
| OPS | .859 | Leads: .859 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Arky Vaughan outpaces Earle Combs 28,350 to 19,222 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,025 PIV per season to 1,602, across 14 seasons to 12. 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).
Earle Combs — 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 stolen bases, while Earle Combs owns runs and batting average. 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 Earle Combs and Arky Vaughan careers compare
From 1932 through 1935, Earle Combs and Arky Vaughan were in the majors together. With 1,455 games against 1,817 across 12 and 14 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. The green cells for Earle Combs are runs (1,186 to 1,173), triples (154 to 128), and batting average (.325 to .318). At the plate, Earle Combs walked more often than struck out (670 walks, 278 strikeouts), and Arky Vaughan walked more often than struck out (937 walks, 276 strikeouts). Arky Vaughan is the more power-leaning hitter, with 96 of 2,103 hits leaving the park.
Earle Combs vs Arky Vaughan: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Earle Combs or Arky Vaughan?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Arky Vaughan leads Earle Combs in 10 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Earle Combs or Arky Vaughan hit more home runs?
- Arky Vaughan, with 96 to Earle Combs's 58.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Neither — both are at .859.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Earle Combs, with .325 to Arky Vaughan's .318.
- Who had more hits?
- Arky Vaughan, with 2,103 to Earle Combs's 1,866.