Ken Boyer vs Roger Maris: Career Stats Comparison
Ken Boyer has the better career line of the two, leading 12 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Ken Boyer played 1955–1969 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
Ken Boyer (1955–1969) and Roger Maris (1957–1968) — both broke in during the 1950s, which makes the head-to-head feel like a contemporaries' debate. Ken Boyer finished with 2,143 hits and 282 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? Ken Boyer, with 282 to Roger Maris's 275.
- Who had the higher OPS? Roger Maris, with .822 to Ken Boyer's .810.
- Who had the higher batting average? Ken Boyer, with .287 to Roger Maris's .260.
- Who had more hits? Ken Boyer, with 2,143 to Roger Maris's 1,325.
- Who drove in more runs? Ken Boyer, with 1,141 to Roger Maris's 851.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Ken Boyer, with 22,279 career PIV to Roger Maris's 17,267.
- Who won more championships? Roger Maris, with 3 World Series titles to Ken Boyer's 1.
Ken Boyer
Roger Maris
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Ken Boyer 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 | Ken Boyer | Roger Maris |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,034 | 1,463 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 7,455 | 5,101 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,104 | 826 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,143 | 1,325 |
| Doubles | Leads: 318 | 195 |
| Triples | Leads: 68 | 42 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 282 | 275 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,141 | 851 |
| Walks | Leads: 713 | 652 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,017 | 733 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 105 | 21 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .287 | .260 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .349 | .345 |
| Slugging % | .462 | Leads: .476 |
| OPS | .810 | Leads: .822 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Ken Boyer leads Roger Maris 22,279 to 17,267 — a longevity gap rather than a per-season one: Ken Boyer played 17 seasons to Roger Maris's 13, while Roger Maris carries the higher per-season figure (1,328 to 1,311). 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).
Ken Boyer — top 3 seasons by OPS
Roger Maris — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Ken Boyer leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Roger Maris owns OPS. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Ken Boyer. PIV agrees: Ken Boyer grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Ken Boyer and Roger Maris careers compare
The careers of Ken Boyer (1955–1969) and Roger Maris (1957–1968) overlapped from 1957 to 1968, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. With 2,034 games against 1,463 across 17 and 13 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. Where Roger Maris comes out ahead, it is in slugging percentage (.476 to .462) and OPS (.822 to .810). Ken Boyer struck out more than walked (1,017 to 713); Roger Maris struck out more than walked (733 to 652). Home runs make up a larger share of Roger Maris's hits: 282 of 2,143 for Ken Boyer, 275 of 1,325 for Roger Maris.
Ken Boyer vs Roger Maris: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Ken Boyer or Roger Maris?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Ken Boyer leads Roger Maris in 12 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Ken Boyer or Roger Maris hit more home runs?
- Ken Boyer, with 282 to Roger Maris's 275.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Roger Maris, with .822 to Ken Boyer's .810.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Ken Boyer, with .287 to Roger Maris's .260.
- Who had more hits?
- Ken Boyer, with 2,143 to Roger Maris's 1,325.