Lou Gehrig vs Arky Vaughan: Career Stats Comparison
Lou Gehrig 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 Gehrig played 1923–1939 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 Gehrig (1923–1939) and Arky Vaughan (1932–1948) — they broke in during the 1920s and the 1930s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Lou Gehrig finished with 2,721 hits and 493 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? Lou Gehrig, with 493 to Arky Vaughan's 96.
- Who had the higher OPS? Lou Gehrig, with 1.080 to Arky Vaughan's .859.
- Who had the higher batting average? Lou Gehrig, with .340 to Arky Vaughan's .318.
- Who had more hits? Lou Gehrig, with 2,721 to Arky Vaughan's 2,103.
- Who drove in more runs? Lou Gehrig, with 1,995 to Arky Vaughan's 926.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Lou Gehrig, with 81,072 career PIV to Arky Vaughan's 28,350.
- Who won more championships? Lou Gehrig, with 8 World Series titles to Arky Vaughan's 0.
Lou Gehrig
Arky Vaughan
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Lou Gehrig 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 | Lou Gehrig | Arky Vaughan |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,164 | 1,817 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 8,001 | 6,622 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,888 | 1,173 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,721 | 2,103 |
| Doubles | Leads: 534 | 356 |
| Triples | Leads: 163 | 128 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 493 | 96 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,995 | 926 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,508 | 937 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 790 | 276 |
| Stolen Bases | 102 | Leads: 118 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .340 | .318 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .447 | .406 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .632 | .453 |
| OPS | Leads: 1.080 | .859 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Lou Gehrig outpaces Arky Vaughan 81,072 to 28,350 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 4,769 PIV per season to 2,025, across 17 seasons to 14. 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 Gehrig — top 3 seasons by OPS
Arky Vaughan — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Lou Gehrig leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Arky Vaughan owns stolen bases. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Lou Gehrig. PIV agrees: Lou Gehrig grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Lou Gehrig and Arky Vaughan careers compare
The careers of Lou Gehrig (1923–1939) and Arky Vaughan (1932–1948) overlapped from 1932 to 1939, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. The two careers are close in length, 2,164 games for Lou Gehrig and 1,817 for Arky Vaughan across 17 and 14 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Where Arky Vaughan comes out ahead, it is in stolen bases (118 to 102). Lou Gehrig walked more often than struck out (1,508 walks, 790 strikeouts); Arky Vaughan walked more often than struck out (937 walks, 276 strikeouts).
Lou Gehrig vs Arky Vaughan: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Lou Gehrig or Arky Vaughan?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Lou Gehrig leads Arky Vaughan in 13 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Lou Gehrig or Arky Vaughan hit more home runs?
- Lou Gehrig, with 493 to Arky Vaughan's 96.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Lou Gehrig, with 1.080 to Arky Vaughan's .859.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Lou Gehrig, with .340 to Arky Vaughan's .318.
- Who had more hits?
- Lou Gehrig, with 2,721 to Arky Vaughan's 2,103.