Roger Maris vs Willie McCovey: Career Stats Comparison
Willie McCovey 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; Willie McCovey played 1959–1980 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 Willie McCovey (1959–1980) — 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; Willie McCovey finished with 2,211 hits and 521 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Willie McCovey, with 521 to Roger Maris's 275.
- Who had the higher OPS? Willie McCovey, with .889 to Roger Maris's .822.
- Who had the higher batting average? Willie McCovey, with .270 to Roger Maris's .260.
- Who had more hits? Willie McCovey, with 2,211 to Roger Maris's 1,325.
- Who drove in more runs? Willie McCovey, with 1,555 to Roger Maris's 851.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Willie McCovey, with 47,331 career PIV to Roger Maris's 17,267.
- Who won more championships? Roger Maris, with 3 World Series titles to Willie McCovey's 0.
Roger Maris
Willie McCovey
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Roger Maris and Willie McCovey. 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 | Willie McCovey |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,463 | Leads: 2,588 |
| At-Bats | 5,101 | Leads: 8,197 |
| Runs | 826 | Leads: 1,229 |
| Hits | 1,325 | Leads: 2,211 |
| Doubles | 195 | Leads: 353 |
| Triples | 42 | Leads: 46 |
| Home Runs | 275 | Leads: 521 |
| RBI | 851 | Leads: 1,555 |
| Walks | 652 | Leads: 1,345 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 733 | 1,550 |
| Stolen Bases | 21 | Leads: 26 |
| Batting Avg | .260 | Leads: .270 |
| On-Base % | .345 | Leads: .374 |
| Slugging % | .476 | Leads: .515 |
| OPS | .822 | Leads: .889 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Willie McCovey outpaces Roger Maris 47,331 to 17,267 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,058 PIV per season to 1,328, across 23 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
Willie McCovey — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Willie McCovey 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 Willie McCovey. PIV agrees: Willie McCovey 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 Willie McCovey careers compare
The careers of Roger Maris (1957–1968) and Willie McCovey (1959–1980) overlapped from 1959 to 1968, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. Playing time explains much of the gap in the counting rows: Roger Maris appeared in 1,463 games to Willie McCovey's 2,588. Every scored category on the table goes to Willie McCovey. At the plate, Roger Maris struck out more than walked (733 to 652), and Willie McCovey struck out more than walked (1,550 to 1,345). Willie McCovey's on-base percentage of .374 tops Roger Maris's .345.
Roger Maris vs Willie McCovey: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Roger Maris or Willie McCovey?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Willie McCovey leads Roger Maris in 14 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Roger Maris or Willie McCovey hit more home runs?
- Willie McCovey, with 521 to Roger Maris's 275.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Willie McCovey, with .889 to Roger Maris's .822.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Willie McCovey, with .270 to Roger Maris's .260.
- Who had more hits?
- Willie McCovey, with 2,211 to Roger Maris's 1,325.