Ernie Banks vs Roger Maris: Career Stats Comparison
Ernie Banks 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). Ernie Banks played 1953–1971 as a hitter; Roger Maris played 1957–1968 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
Ernie Banks (1953–1971) and Roger Maris (1957–1968) — both broke in during the 1950s, which makes the head-to-head feel like a contemporaries' debate. Ernie Banks finished with 2,583 hits and 512 home runs; Roger Maris finished with 1,325 hits and 275 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Ernie Banks, with 512 to Roger Maris's 275.
- Who had the higher OPS? Ernie Banks, with .830 to Roger Maris's .822.
- Who had the higher batting average? Ernie Banks, with .274 to Roger Maris's .260.
- Who had more hits? Ernie Banks, with 2,583 to Roger Maris's 1,325.
- Who drove in more runs? Ernie Banks, with 1,636 to Roger Maris's 851.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Ernie Banks, with 30,636 career PIV to Roger Maris's 17,267.
- Who won more championships? Roger Maris, with 3 World Series titles to Ernie Banks's 0.
Ernie Banks
Roger Maris
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Ernie Banks and Roger Maris. 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 | Ernie Banks | Roger Maris |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,528 | 1,463 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 9,421 | 5,101 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,305 | 826 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,583 | 1,325 |
| Doubles | Leads: 407 | 195 |
| Triples | Leads: 90 | 42 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 512 | 275 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,636 | 851 |
| Walks | Leads: 763 | 652 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,236 | 733 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 50 | 21 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .274 | .260 |
| On-Base % | .330 | Leads: .345 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .500 | .476 |
| OPS | Leads: .830 | .822 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Ernie Banks outpaces Roger Maris 30,636 to 17,267 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,612 PIV per season to 1,328, across 19 seasons to 13. 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).
Ernie Banks — top 3 seasons by OPS
Roger Maris — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Ernie Banks leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Roger Maris owns OBP. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Ernie Banks. PIV agrees: Ernie Banks grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Ernie Banks and Roger Maris careers compare
The careers of Ernie Banks (1953–1971) and Roger Maris (1957–1968) overlapped from 1957 to 1968, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. Ernie Banks has the far longer record, 2,528 games against 1,463 across 19 and 13 PIV seasons, which inflates every career total. Where Roger Maris comes out ahead, it is in on-base percentage (.345 to .330). At the plate, Ernie Banks struck out more than walked (1,236 to 763), and Roger Maris struck out more than walked (733 to 652). Ernie Banks's slugging percentage of .500 tops Roger Maris's .476.
Ernie Banks vs Roger Maris: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Ernie Banks or Roger Maris?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Ernie Banks leads Roger Maris in 13 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Ernie Banks or Roger Maris hit more home runs?
- Ernie Banks, with 512 to Roger Maris's 275.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Ernie Banks, with .830 to Roger Maris's .822.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Ernie Banks, with .274 to Roger Maris's .260.
- Who had more hits?
- Ernie Banks, with 2,583 to Roger Maris's 1,325.