Harmon Killebrew vs Roger Maris: Career Stats Comparison
Harmon Killebrew 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). Harmon Killebrew played 1954–1975 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
Harmon Killebrew (1954–1975) and Roger Maris (1957–1968) — both broke in during the 1950s, which makes the head-to-head feel like a contemporaries' debate. Harmon Killebrew finished with 2,086 hits and 573 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? Harmon Killebrew, with 573 to Roger Maris's 275.
- Who had the higher OPS? Harmon Killebrew, with .884 to Roger Maris's .822.
- Who had the higher batting average? Roger Maris, with .260 to Harmon Killebrew's .256.
- Who had more hits? Harmon Killebrew, with 2,086 to Roger Maris's 1,325.
- Who drove in more runs? Harmon Killebrew, with 1,584 to Roger Maris's 851.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Harmon Killebrew, with 48,240 career PIV to Roger Maris's 17,267.
- Who won more championships? Roger Maris, with 3 World Series titles to Harmon Killebrew's 0.
Harmon Killebrew
Roger Maris
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Harmon Killebrew 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 | Harmon Killebrew | Roger Maris |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,435 | 1,463 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 8,147 | 5,101 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,283 | 826 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,086 | 1,325 |
| Doubles | Leads: 290 | 195 |
| Triples | 24 | Leads: 42 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 573 | 275 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,584 | 851 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,559 | 652 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,699 | 733 |
| Stolen Bases | 19 | Leads: 21 |
| Batting Avg | .256 | Leads: .260 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .376 | .345 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .509 | .476 |
| OPS | Leads: .884 | .822 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Harmon Killebrew outpaces Roger Maris 48,240 to 17,267 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,193 PIV per season to 1,328, across 22 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).
Harmon Killebrew — top 3 seasons by OPS
Roger Maris — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Harmon Killebrew leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Roger Maris owns stolen bases and batting average. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Harmon Killebrew. PIV agrees: Harmon Killebrew grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Harmon Killebrew and Roger Maris careers compare
The careers of Harmon Killebrew (1954–1975) and Roger Maris (1957–1968) overlapped from 1957 to 1968, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. The table compares 2,435 games of Harmon Killebrew with 1,463 of Roger Maris across 22 and 13 PIV seasons; totals favor the longer career by default. The green cells for Roger Maris are triples (42 to 24), stolen bases (21 to 19), and batting average (.260 to .256). Harmon Killebrew struck out more than walked (1,699 to 1,559); Roger Maris struck out more than walked (733 to 652).
Harmon Killebrew vs Roger Maris: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Harmon Killebrew or Roger Maris?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Harmon Killebrew leads Roger Maris in 11 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Harmon Killebrew or Roger Maris hit more home runs?
- Harmon Killebrew, with 573 to Roger Maris's 275.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Harmon Killebrew, with .884 to Roger Maris's .822.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Roger Maris, with .260 to Harmon Killebrew's .256.
- Who had more hits?
- Harmon Killebrew, with 2,086 to Roger Maris's 1,325.