Josh Gibson 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). Josh Gibson played ?–1946 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
Josh Gibson (?–1946) and Arky Vaughan (1932–1948) — their careers are worth a careful side-by-side. Josh Gibson finished with 1,007 hits and 197 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? Josh Gibson, with 197 to Arky Vaughan's 96.
- Who had the higher OPS? Josh Gibson, with 1.136 to Arky Vaughan's .859.
- Who had the higher batting average? Josh Gibson, with .364 to Arky Vaughan's .318.
- Who had more hits? Arky Vaughan, with 2,103 to Josh Gibson's 1,007.
- Who drove in more runs? Arky Vaughan, with 926 to Josh Gibson's 872.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Arky Vaughan, with 28,350 career PIV to Josh Gibson's 28,319.
- Who won more championships? Josh Gibson, with 2 World Series titles to Arky Vaughan's 0.
Josh Gibson
Arky Vaughan
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Josh Gibson 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 | Josh Gibson | Arky Vaughan |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 766 | Leads: 1,817 |
| At-Bats | 2,768 | Leads: 6,622 |
| Runs | 733 | Leads: 1,173 |
| Hits | 1,007 | Leads: 2,103 |
| Doubles | 170 | Leads: 356 |
| Triples | 72 | Leads: 128 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 197 | 96 |
| RBI | 872 | Leads: 926 |
| Walks | 400 | Leads: 937 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 20 | 276 |
| Stolen Bases | 44 | Leads: 118 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .364 | .318 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .446 | .406 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .691 | .453 |
| OPS | Leads: 1.136 | .859 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Arky Vaughan edges Josh Gibson 28,350 to 28,319 — driven by per-season impact — 2,025 PIV per season to 1,666 — rather than by longevity, since Arky Vaughan played 14 seasons to Josh Gibson's 17. 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).
Josh Gibson
No seasons meet the qualifying workload, so there is no peak-season list to show.
Arky Vaughan — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Arky Vaughan leads in hits, RBI, runs, and stolen bases, while Josh Gibson owns home runs, batting average, and OBP. 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 Josh Gibson and Arky Vaughan careers compare
From 1946 through 1946, Josh Gibson and Arky Vaughan were in the majors together. Playing time explains much of the gap in the counting rows: Josh Gibson appeared in 766 games to Arky Vaughan's 1,817. Josh Gibson walked more often than struck out (400 walks, 20 strikeouts); Arky Vaughan walked more often than struck out (937 walks, 276 strikeouts). Home runs make up a larger share of Josh Gibson's hits: 197 of 1,007 for Josh Gibson, 96 of 2,103 for Arky Vaughan. On the bases, Arky Vaughan stole more often per game played (44 steals in 766 games for Josh Gibson, 118 in 1,817 for Arky Vaughan).
Josh Gibson vs Arky Vaughan: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Josh Gibson or Arky Vaughan?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Arky Vaughan leads Josh Gibson in 9 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Josh Gibson or Arky Vaughan hit more home runs?
- Josh Gibson, with 197 to Arky Vaughan's 96.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Josh Gibson, with 1.136 to Arky Vaughan's .859.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Josh Gibson, with .364 to Arky Vaughan's .318.
- Who had more hits?
- Arky Vaughan, with 2,103 to Josh Gibson's 1,007.