Sam Rice vs Arky Vaughan: Career Stats Comparison
Sam Rice 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). Sam Rice played 1915–1934 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
Sam Rice (1915–1934) and Arky Vaughan (1932–1948) — they broke in during the 1910s and the 1930s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Sam Rice finished with 2,987 hits and 34 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 Sam Rice's 34.
- Who had the higher OPS? Arky Vaughan, with .859 to Sam Rice's .801.
- Who had the higher batting average? Sam Rice, with .322 to Arky Vaughan's .318.
- Who had more hits? Sam Rice, with 2,987 to Arky Vaughan's 2,103.
- Who drove in more runs? Sam Rice, with 1,078 to Arky Vaughan's 926.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Arky Vaughan, with 28,350 career PIV to Sam Rice's 18,800.
- Who won more championships? Sam Rice, with 1 World Series title to Arky Vaughan's 0.
Arky Vaughan
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Sam Rice 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 1910s and the 1930s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Sam Rice | Arky Vaughan |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,404 | 1,817 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 9,269 | 6,622 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,514 | 1,173 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,987 | 2,103 |
| Doubles | Leads: 498 | 356 |
| Triples | Leads: 184 | 128 |
| Home Runs | 34 | Leads: 96 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,078 | 926 |
| Walks | 708 | Leads: 937 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 275 | 276 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 351 | 118 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .322 | .318 |
| On-Base % | .374 | Leads: .406 |
| Slugging % | .427 | Leads: .453 |
| OPS | .801 | Leads: .859 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Arky Vaughan outpaces Sam Rice 28,350 to 18,800 — driven by per-season impact — 2,025 PIV per season to 940 — rather than by longevity, since Arky Vaughan played 14 seasons to Sam Rice's 20. 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).
Sam Rice — top 3 seasons by OPS
Arky Vaughan — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Sam Rice leads in hits, RBI, runs, and stolen bases, while Arky Vaughan owns home runs, OBP, and OPS. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Sam Rice. Note that PIV actually grades Arky Vaughan ahead, which means Sam Rice's edge is partly volume. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Sam Rice and Arky Vaughan careers compare
Sam Rice and Arky Vaughan were active at the same time between 1932 and 1934. The two careers are close in length, 2,404 games for Sam Rice and 1,817 for Arky Vaughan across 20 and 14 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Sam Rice walked more often than struck out (708 walks, 275 strikeouts); Arky Vaughan walked more often than struck out (937 walks, 276 strikeouts). Home runs make up a larger share of Arky Vaughan's hits: 34 of 2,987 for Sam Rice, 96 of 2,103 for Arky Vaughan. Sam Rice was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played. Arky Vaughan's on-base percentage of .406 tops Sam Rice's .374.
Sam Rice vs Arky Vaughan: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Sam Rice or Arky Vaughan?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Sam Rice leads Arky Vaughan in 9 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Sam Rice or Arky Vaughan hit more home runs?
- Arky Vaughan, with 96 to Sam Rice's 34.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Arky Vaughan, with .859 to Sam Rice's .801.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Sam Rice, with .322 to Arky Vaughan's .318.
- Who had more hits?
- Sam Rice, with 2,987 to Arky Vaughan's 2,103.