Arky Vaughan
Shortstop · Career Stats, Hall of Fame Bio & Records (1932-1948)
Arky Vaughan was a shortstop who played in Major League Baseball from 1932 to 1948 for the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Brooklyn Dodgers, a span of 17 seasons. In 1,817 career games, he hit .318 with 2,103 hits, 96 home runs, and 926 RBI. Arky Vaughan was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1985 and was a 9-time All-Star. His career PIV — Baseball Data Hub's era-adjusted measure of offensive impact — is 28,350.
- 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
- Position
- Shortstop
- Bats / Throws
- L / R
- Height / Weight
- 5'10" / 175 lb
- Died
- 8/30/1952 in Eagleville, CA, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1932-04-17
- Last Game
- 1948-09-22
- Hall of Fame
- Inducted 1985 (BBWAA)
- Awards
- 9× All-Star
Full name: Joseph Floyd Vaughan
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1,817 | 6,622 | 1,173 | 2,103 | 356 | 128 | 96 | 926 | 118 | 937 | 276 | .318 | .406 | .453 | .859 | 28,350 |
Career AVG .318 vs. league average .270 across their career seasons — +17.8% above league average.
Career OBP .406 vs. league average .337 across their career seasons — +20.4% above league average.
Career SLG .453 vs. league average .383 across their career seasons — +18.4% above league average.
Career OPS .859 vs. league average .720 across their career seasons — +19.4% above league average.
Season-by-Season Batting
Click a stat to plot it across every season.
| Year | Team | Lg | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | Lg AVG | Lg OBP | Lg SLG | Lg OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1932 | PIT | NL | 129 | 497 | 71 | 158 | 15 | 10 | 4 | 61 | 10 | 39 | 26 | .318 | .275 (+16%) | .335 (+12%) | .391 (+5%) | .726 (+8%) | 902.9 |
| 1933 | PIT | NL | 152 | 573 | 85 | 180 | 29 | 19 | 9 | 97 | 3 | 64 | 23 | .314 | .270 (+16%) | .329 (+18%) | .377 (+27%) | .707 (+22%) | 2625.8 |
| 1934 | PIT | NL | 149 | 558 | 115 | 186 | 41 | 11 | 12 | 94 | 10 | 94 | 38 | .333 | .278 (+20%) | .340 (+27%) | .392 (+30%) | .733 (+28%) | 3603.8 |
| 1935 | PIT | NL | 137 | 499 | 108 | 192 | 34 | 10 | 19 | 99 | 4 | 97 | 18 | .385 | .279 (+38%) | .342 (+43%) | .399 (+52%) | .742 (+48%) | 5470.0 |
| 1936 | PIT | NL | 156 | 568 | 122 | 190 | 30 | 11 | 9 | 78 | 6 | 118 | 21 | .335 | .283 (+18%) | .349 (+30%) | .404 (+17%) | .753 (+23%) | 3417.2 |
| 1937 | PIT | NL | 126 | 469 | 71 | 151 | 17 | 17 | 5 | 72 | 7 | 54 | 22 | .322 | .276 (+16%) | .342 (+15%) | .398 (+16%) | .740 (+16%) | 1525.5 |
| 1938 | PIT | NL | 148 | 541 | 88 | 174 | 35 | 5 | 7 | 68 | 14 | 104 | 21 | .322 | .272 (+18%) | .341 (+27%) | .392 (+13%) | .734 (+19%) | 2677.5 |
| 1939 | PIT | NL | 152 | 595 | 94 | 182 | 30 | 11 | 6 | 62 | 12 | 70 | 20 | .306 | .274 (+12%) | .342 (+12%) | .393 (+8%) | .735 (+10%) | 1372.3 |
| 1940 | PIT | NL | 156 | 594 | 113 | 178 | 40 | 15 | 7 | 95 | 12 | 88 | 25 | .300 | .267 (+12%) | .335 (+17%) | .387 (+17%) | .722 (+17%) | 2239.5 |
| 1941 | PIT | NL | 106 | 374 | 69 | 118 | 20 | 7 | 6 | 38 | 8 | 50 | 13 | .316 | .262 (+20%) | .332 (+20%) | .373 (+22%) | .705 (+21%) | 1570.4 |
| 1942 | BRO | NL | 128 | 495 | 82 | 137 | 18 | 4 | 2 | 49 | 8 | 51 | 17 | .277 | .253 (+9%) | .323 (+8%) | .349 (-2%) | .672 (+2%) | 327.8 |
| 1943 | BRO | NL | 149 | 610 | 112 | 186 | 39 | 6 | 5 | 66 | 20 | 60 | 13 | .305 | .255 (+19%) | .324 (+14%) | .346 (+19%) | .671 (+17%) | 1957.3 |
| 1947 | BRO | NL | 64 | 126 | 24 | 41 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 25 | 4 | 27 | 11 | .325 | .262 (+24%) | .336 (+32%) | .376 (+18%) | .712 (+25%) | 673.9 |
| 1948 | BRO | NL | 65 | 123 | 19 | 30 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 22 | 0 | 21 | 8 | .244 | .263 (-7%) | .340 (+4%) | .379 (-10%) | .719 (-3%) | -14.1 |
| Career · 14 seasons | 1,817 | 6,622 | 1,173 | 2,103 | 356 | 128 | 96 | 926 | 118 | 937 | 276 | .318 | — | — | — | — | 28,350 | ||
Lg columns show the league average for that season, with the player's figure as a percentage above or below it. Career totals the seasons listed above.
Game Log & Splits
View full game log (1817 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 919 | 3276 | 586 | 1049 | 45 | 475 | .320 |
| Away | 898 | 3347 | 586 | 1055 | 51 | 451 | .315 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1948-09-22 | BRO | PIT | L | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1948-09-15 | BRO | CIN | L | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1948-09-12 | BRO | NY1 | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1948-09-11 | BRO | NY1 | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1948-09-06 | BRO | BSN | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1948-09-05 | BRO | NY1 | W | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1948-09-04 | BRO | NY1 | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1948-09-03 | BRO | NY1 | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1948-09-03 | BRO | NY1 | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1948-08-31 | BRO | CHC | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2B | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 3B | 197 | 0 | 190 | 335 | 19 | 25 |
| OF | 60 | 0 | 122 | 4 | 1 | 0 |
| SS | 1485 | 0 | 2995 | 4780 | 397 | 850 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1932 | PIT | SS | 128 | 0 | 247 | 403 | 46 | 74 |
| 1933 | PIT | SS | 152 | 0 | 310 | 487 | 46 | 95 |
| 1934 | PIT | SS | 149 | 0 | 329 | 480 | 41 | 77 |
| 1935 | PIT | SS | 137 | 0 | 249 | 422 | 35 | 55 |
| 1936 | PIT | SS | 156 | 0 | 327 | 477 | 47 | 86 |
| 1937 | PIT | OF | 12 | 0 | 26 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1937 | PIT | SS | 108 | 0 | 231 | 335 | 26 | 58 |
| 1938 | PIT | SS | 147 | 0 | 306 | 507 | 33 | 107 |
| 1939 | PIT | SS | 152 | 0 | 330 | 531 | 34 | 103 |
| 1940 | PIT | 3B | 2 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| 1940 | PIT | SS | 155 | 0 | 308 | 542 | 52 | 94 |
| 1941 | PIT | 3B | 3 | 0 | 2 | 9 | 1 | 1 |
| 1941 | PIT | SS | 97 | 0 | 172 | 289 | 20 | 42 |
| 1942 | BRO | 2B | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1942 | BRO | 3B | 119 | 0 | 118 | 208 | 14 | 18 |
| 1942 | BRO | SS | 5 | 0 | 11 | 16 | 0 | 4 |
| 1943 | BRO | 3B | 55 | 0 | 62 | 84 | 4 | 2 |
| 1943 | BRO | SS | 99 | 0 | 175 | 291 | 17 | 55 |
| 1947 | BRO | 3B | 10 | 0 | 7 | 20 | 0 | 3 |
| 1947 | BRO | OF | 22 | 0 | 49 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1948 | BRO | 3B | 8 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 1 |
| 1948 | BRO | OF | 26 | 0 | 47 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Second Base | 1 |
| Third Base | 197 |
| Shortstop | 1485 |
| Left Field | 60 |
Awards & Honors
| Year | Award | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1943 | Baseball Magazine All-Star | 3B |
| 1942 | Baseball Magazine All-Star | 3B |
| 1939 | Baseball Magazine All-Star | SS |
| 1938 | Baseball Magazine All-Star | SS |
| 1937 | Baseball Magazine All-Star | SS |
| 1936 | Baseball Magazine All-Star | SS |
| 1935 | Baseball Magazine All-Star | SS |
| 1935 | TSN All-Star | SS |
| 1935 | TSN Guide MVP | |
| 1934 | Baseball Magazine All-Star | SS |
| 1933 | Baseball Magazine All-Star | SS |
Award Voting History
| Year | Award | League | Finish | Points Won | Points Max | Votes First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1943 | Most Valuable Player | NL | 15th | 15.0 | 336 | 0 |
| 1941 | Most Valuable Player | NL | 35th | 2.0 | 336 | 0 |
| 1940 | Most Valuable Player | NL | 15th | 27.0 | 336 | 0 |
| 1938 | Most Valuable Player | NL | 3rd | 163.0 | 336 | 0 |
| 1935 | Most Valuable Player | NL | 3rd | 45.0 | 80 | 0 |
| 1934 | Most Valuable Player | NL | 23th | 1.0 | 80 | 0 |
| 1933 | Most Valuable Player | NL | 23th | 2.0 | 80 | 0 |
| 1932 | Most Valuable Player | NL | 23th | 1.0 | 80 | 0 |
Most Similar Players
Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.
Arky Vaughan (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.
Compare Arky Vaughan
Arky Vaughan: the record in brief
Arky Vaughan played a first major league game on April 17, 1932 and a last one on September 22, 1948. By club, Vaughan's seasons break down as the Pittsburgh Pirates (1932 through 1941) and the Brooklyn Dodgers (1942 to 1948). Listed as a shortstop, Vaughan threw right-handed and batted left-handed. The recorded size is 5-foot-10 and 175 pounds. Vaughan was born on March 9, 1912, in Clifty, AR, USA. Vaughan's death is recorded on August 30, 1952, in Eagleville, CA, USA. Vaughan's full given name, per the bio, is Joseph Floyd Vaughan.
Vaughan finished with 2,103 hits from 6,622 at bats in 1,817 games, which works out to .318, along with 96 homers, 926 RBI, and 118 stolen bases. Vaughan got on base at a .406 rate and slugged .453 (.859 OPS). Set against a .270 league average for the same years, Vaughan's .318 average sits 17.8% above it. The single-season home run high is 19, set in 1935.
Frequently Asked Questions about Arky Vaughan
- What years did Arky Vaughan play?
- Arky Vaughan played in Major League Baseball from 1932 to 1948.
- Was Arky Vaughan a pitcher?
- No. Arky Vaughan was a position player (Shortstop).
- How many home runs did Arky Vaughan hit?
- Arky Vaughan hit 96 career home runs with 2,103 hits.
- Is Arky Vaughan in the Hall of Fame?
- Yes. Arky Vaughan was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1985.
- What teams did Arky Vaughan play for?
- Arky Vaughan played for 2 teams: the Pittsburgh Pirates (1932–1941) and the Brooklyn Dodgers (1942–1943, 1947–1948).
- Did Arky Vaughan win an MVP award?
- No. Arky Vaughan did not win the MVP award.
- What awards did Arky Vaughan win?
- Arky Vaughan was selected to 9 All-Star Games.
- What were Arky Vaughan's career stats?
- In 1,817 games, Arky Vaughan had 2,103 hits, 96 home runs, 926 RBI, 1,173 runs, and 118 stolen bases, with a .318 batting average.
- What position did Arky Vaughan play?
- Arky Vaughan played primarily as a shortstop, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was Arky Vaughan and how much did he weigh?
- Arky Vaughan was listed at 5 feet 10 inches and 175 pounds.
- How many home runs did Arky Vaughan hit each season?
- Arky Vaughan's home runs by season: 4 in 1932, 9 in 1933, 12 in 1934, 19 in 1935, 9 in 1936, 5 in 1937, 7 in 1938, 6 in 1939, 7 in 1940, 6 in 1941, 2 in 1942, 5 in 1943, 2 in 1947, and 3 in 1948. His most in one season was 19, in 1935.
- What was Arky Vaughan's career batting average?
- Arky Vaughan batted .318 over his career, with 2,103 hits in 6,622 at bats.
- How many RBI did Arky Vaughan have?
- Arky Vaughan drove in 926 runs in his career.
- How many All-Star Games did Arky Vaughan make?
- Arky Vaughan was selected to 9 All-Star Games.