Roger Maris vs Eddie Mathews: Career Stats Comparison
Eddie Mathews has the better career line of the two, leading 14 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Roger Maris played 1957–1968 as a hitter; Eddie Mathews played 1952–1968 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
Roger Maris (1957–1968) and Eddie Mathews (1952–1968) — both broke in during the 1950s, which makes the head-to-head feel like a contemporaries' debate. Roger Maris finished with 1,325 hits and 275 home runs; Eddie Mathews finished with 2,315 hits and 512 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Eddie Mathews, with 512 to Roger Maris's 275.
- Who had the higher OPS? Eddie Mathews, with .885 to Roger Maris's .822.
- Who had the higher batting average? Eddie Mathews, with .271 to Roger Maris's .260.
- Who had more hits? Eddie Mathews, with 2,315 to Roger Maris's 1,325.
- Who drove in more runs? Eddie Mathews, with 1,453 to Roger Maris's 851.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Eddie Mathews, with 45,555 career PIV to Roger Maris's 17,267.
- Who won more championships? Roger Maris, with 3 World Series titles to Eddie Mathews's 2.
Roger Maris
Eddie Mathews
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Roger Maris and Eddie Mathews. 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 | Roger Maris | Eddie Mathews |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,463 | Leads: 2,391 |
| At-Bats | 5,101 | Leads: 8,537 |
| Runs | 826 | Leads: 1,509 |
| Hits | 1,325 | Leads: 2,315 |
| Doubles | 195 | Leads: 354 |
| Triples | 42 | Leads: 72 |
| Home Runs | 275 | Leads: 512 |
| RBI | 851 | Leads: 1,453 |
| Walks | 652 | Leads: 1,444 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 733 | 1,487 |
| Stolen Bases | 21 | Leads: 68 |
| Batting Avg | .260 | Leads: .271 |
| On-Base % | .345 | Leads: .376 |
| Slugging % | .476 | Leads: .509 |
| OPS | .822 | Leads: .885 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Eddie Mathews outpaces Roger Maris 45,555 to 17,267 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,531 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).
Roger Maris — top 3 seasons by OPS
Eddie Mathews — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Eddie Mathews leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Roger Maris owns no headline categories. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Eddie Mathews. PIV agrees: Eddie Mathews grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Roger Maris and Eddie Mathews careers compare
From 1957 through 1968, Roger Maris and Eddie Mathews were in the majors together. Playing time explains much of the gap in the counting rows: Roger Maris appeared in 1,463 games to Eddie Mathews's 2,391. Every scored category on the table goes to Eddie Mathews. At the plate, Roger Maris struck out more than walked (733 to 652), and Eddie Mathews struck out more than walked (1,487 to 1,444). Eddie Mathews's slugging percentage of .509 tops Roger Maris's .476. Best seasons: 1961 for Roger Maris (.993 OPS, 61 HR, 142 RBI, .269 avg) and 1953 for Eddie Mathews (1.033 OPS, 47 HR, 135 RBI, .302 avg).
Roger Maris vs Eddie Mathews: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Roger Maris or Eddie Mathews?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Eddie Mathews leads Roger Maris in 14 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Roger Maris or Eddie Mathews hit more home runs?
- Eddie Mathews, with 512 to Roger Maris's 275.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Eddie Mathews, with .885 to Roger Maris's .822.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Eddie Mathews, with .271 to Roger Maris's .260.
- Who had more hits?
- Eddie Mathews, with 2,315 to Roger Maris's 1,325.