Larry Doby vs Arky Vaughan: Career Stats Comparison
Arky Vaughan has the better career line of the two, leading 9 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Larry Doby played 1947–1959 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
Larry Doby (1947–1959) and Arky Vaughan (1932–1948) — they broke in during the 1940s and the 1930s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Larry Doby finished with 1,697 hits and 273 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? Larry Doby, with 273 to Arky Vaughan's 96.
- Who had the higher OPS? Larry Doby, with .888 to Arky Vaughan's .859.
- Who had the higher batting average? Arky Vaughan, with .318 to Larry Doby's .288.
- Who had more hits? Arky Vaughan, with 2,103 to Larry Doby's 1,697.
- Who drove in more runs? Larry Doby, with 1,093 to Arky Vaughan's 926.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Larry Doby, with 28,857 career PIV to Arky Vaughan's 28,350.
- Who won more championships? Larry Doby, with 2 World Series titles to Arky Vaughan's 0.
Larry Doby
Arky Vaughan
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Larry Doby 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 1940s and the 1930s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Larry Doby | Arky Vaughan |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,674 | Leads: 1,817 |
| At-Bats | 5,883 | Leads: 6,622 |
| Runs | 1,080 | Leads: 1,173 |
| Hits | 1,697 | Leads: 2,103 |
| Doubles | 277 | Leads: 356 |
| Triples | 72 | Leads: 128 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 273 | 96 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,093 | 926 |
| Walks | Leads: 945 | 937 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,012 | 276 |
| Stolen Bases | 64 | Leads: 118 |
| Batting Avg | .288 | Leads: .318 |
| On-Base % | .389 | Leads: .406 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .499 | .453 |
| OPS | Leads: .888 | .859 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Larry Doby edges Arky Vaughan 28,857 to 28,350 — a longevity gap rather than a per-season one: Larry Doby played 19 seasons to Arky Vaughan's 14, while Arky Vaughan carries the higher per-season figure (2,025 to 1,519). 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).
Larry Doby — top 3 seasons by OPS
Arky Vaughan — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Arky Vaughan leads in hits, runs, stolen bases, and batting average, while Larry Doby owns home runs, RBI, and OPS. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Arky Vaughan. Note that PIV actually grades Larry Doby ahead, which means Arky Vaughan's edge is partly volume. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Larry Doby and Arky Vaughan careers compare
Larry Doby and Arky Vaughan were active at the same time between 1947 and 1948. The two careers are close in length, 1,674 games for Larry Doby and 1,817 for Arky Vaughan across 19 and 14 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. At the plate, Larry Doby struck out more than walked (1,012 to 945), while Arky Vaughan walked more often than struck out (937 walks, 276 strikeouts). Home runs make up a larger share of Larry Doby's hits: 273 of 1,697 for Larry Doby, 96 of 2,103 for Arky Vaughan. Arky Vaughan was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played.
Larry Doby vs Arky Vaughan: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Larry Doby or Arky Vaughan?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Arky Vaughan leads Larry Doby in 9 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Larry Doby or Arky Vaughan hit more home runs?
- Larry Doby, with 273 to Arky Vaughan's 96.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Larry Doby, with .888 to Arky Vaughan's .859.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Arky Vaughan, with .318 to Larry Doby's .288.
- Who had more hits?
- Arky Vaughan, with 2,103 to Larry Doby's 1,697.