Nellie Fox vs Roger Maris: Career Stats Comparison
Nellie Fox has the better career line of the two, leading 10 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Nellie Fox played 1947–1965 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
Nellie Fox (1947–1965) and Roger Maris (1957–1968) — they broke in during the 1940s and the 1950s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Nellie Fox finished with 2,663 hits and 35 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 Nellie Fox's 35.
- Who had the higher OPS? Roger Maris, with .822 to Nellie Fox's .710.
- Who had the higher batting average? Nellie Fox, with .288 to Roger Maris's .260.
- Who had more hits? Nellie Fox, with 2,663 to Roger Maris's 1,325.
- Who drove in more runs? Roger Maris, with 851 to Nellie Fox's 790.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Roger Maris, with 17,267 career PIV to Nellie Fox's 1,100.
- Who won more championships? Roger Maris, with 3 World Series titles to Nellie Fox's 0.
Roger Maris
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Nellie Fox 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, and the 1940s and the 1950s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Nellie Fox | Roger Maris |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,367 | 1,463 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 9,232 | 5,101 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,279 | 826 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,663 | 1,325 |
| Doubles | Leads: 355 | 195 |
| Triples | Leads: 112 | 42 |
| Home Runs | 35 | Leads: 275 |
| RBI | 790 | Leads: 851 |
| Walks | Leads: 719 | 652 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 216 | 733 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 76 | 21 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .288 | .260 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .348 | .345 |
| Slugging % | .363 | Leads: .476 |
| OPS | .710 | Leads: .822 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Roger Maris outpaces Nellie Fox 17,267 to 1,100 — driven by per-season impact — 1,328 PIV per season to 58 — rather than by longevity, since Roger Maris played 13 seasons to Nellie Fox's 19. 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).
Nellie Fox — top 3 seasons by OPS
Roger Maris — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Nellie Fox leads in hits, runs, stolen bases, and batting average, while Roger Maris owns home runs, RBI, and OPS. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Nellie Fox. Note that PIV actually grades Roger Maris ahead, which means Nellie Fox's edge is partly volume. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Nellie Fox and Roger Maris careers compare
From 1957 through 1965, Nellie Fox and Roger Maris were in the majors together. Playing time explains much of the gap in the counting rows: Nellie Fox appeared in 2,367 games to Roger Maris's 1,463. Where Roger Maris comes out ahead, it is in home runs (275 to 35), RBI (851 to 790), and slugging percentage (.476 to .363). At the plate, Nellie Fox walked more often than struck out (719 walks, 216 strikeouts), while Roger Maris struck out more than walked (733 to 652). Home runs make up a larger share of Roger Maris's hits: 35 of 2,663 for Nellie Fox, 275 of 1,325 for Roger Maris.
Nellie Fox vs Roger Maris: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Nellie Fox or Roger Maris?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Nellie Fox leads Roger Maris in 10 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Nellie Fox or Roger Maris hit more home runs?
- Roger Maris, with 275 to Nellie Fox's 35.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Roger Maris, with .822 to Nellie Fox's .710.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Nellie Fox, with .288 to Roger Maris's .260.
- Who had more hits?
- Nellie Fox, with 2,663 to Roger Maris's 1,325.