Roberto Clemente vs Roger Maris: Career Stats Comparison
Roberto Clemente has the better career line of the two, leading 11 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Roberto Clemente played 1955–1972 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
Roberto Clemente (1955–1972) and Roger Maris (1957–1968) — both broke in during the 1950s, which makes the head-to-head feel like a contemporaries' debate. Roberto Clemente finished with 3,000 hits and 240 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? Roger Maris, with 275 to Roberto Clemente's 240.
- Who had the higher OPS? Roberto Clemente, with .834 to Roger Maris's .822.
- Who had the higher batting average? Roberto Clemente, with .317 to Roger Maris's .260.
- Who had more hits? Roberto Clemente, with 3,000 to Roger Maris's 1,325.
- Who drove in more runs? Roberto Clemente, with 1,305 to Roger Maris's 851.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Roberto Clemente, with 34,131 career PIV to Roger Maris's 17,267.
- Who won more championships? Roger Maris, with 3 World Series titles to Roberto Clemente's 2.
Roberto Clemente
Roger Maris
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Roberto Clemente 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 | Roberto Clemente | Roger Maris |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,433 | 1,463 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 9,454 | 5,101 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,416 | 826 |
| Hits | Leads: 3,000 | 1,325 |
| Doubles | Leads: 440 | 195 |
| Triples | Leads: 166 | 42 |
| Home Runs | 240 | Leads: 275 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,305 | 851 |
| Walks | 621 | Leads: 652 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,230 | 733 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 83 | 21 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .317 | .260 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .359 | .345 |
| Slugging % | .475 | Leads: .476 |
| OPS | Leads: .834 | .822 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Roberto Clemente outpaces Roger Maris 34,131 to 17,267 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,896 PIV per season to 1,328, across 18 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).
Roberto Clemente — top 3 seasons by OPS
Roger Maris — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Roberto Clemente leads in hits, RBI, runs, and stolen bases, while Roger Maris owns home runs. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Roberto Clemente. PIV agrees: Roberto Clemente grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Roberto Clemente and Roger Maris careers compare
The careers of Roberto Clemente (1955–1972) and Roger Maris (1957–1968) overlapped from 1957 to 1968, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. Playing time explains much of the gap in the counting rows: Roberto Clemente appeared in 2,433 games to Roger Maris's 1,463. The green cells for Roger Maris are home runs (275 to 240), walks (652 to 621), and slugging percentage (.476 to .475). Roberto Clemente struck out more than walked (1,230 to 621); Roger Maris struck out more than walked (733 to 652). Home runs make up a larger share of Roger Maris's hits: 240 of 3,000 for Roberto Clemente, 275 of 1,325 for Roger Maris.
Roberto Clemente vs Roger Maris: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Roberto Clemente or Roger Maris?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Roberto Clemente leads Roger Maris in 11 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Roberto Clemente or Roger Maris hit more home runs?
- Roger Maris, with 275 to Roberto Clemente's 240.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Roberto Clemente, with .834 to Roger Maris's .822.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Roberto Clemente, with .317 to Roger Maris's .260.
- Who had more hits?
- Roberto Clemente, with 3,000 to Roger Maris's 1,325.