Roger Maris vs Tony Perez: Career Stats Comparison
Tony Perez 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). Roger Maris played 1957–1968 as a hitter; Tony Perez played 1964–1986 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 Tony Perez (1964–1986) — they broke in during the 1950s and the 1960s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Roger Maris finished with 1,325 hits and 275 home runs; Tony Perez finished with 2,732 hits and 379 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Tony Perez, with 379 to Roger Maris's 275.
- Who had the higher OPS? Roger Maris, with .822 to Tony Perez's .804.
- Who had the higher batting average? Tony Perez, with .279 to Roger Maris's .260.
- Who had more hits? Tony Perez, with 2,732 to Roger Maris's 1,325.
- Who drove in more runs? Tony Perez, with 1,652 to Roger Maris's 851.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Tony Perez, with 28,896 career PIV to Roger Maris's 17,267.
- Who won more championships? Roger Maris, with 3 World Series titles to Tony Perez's 2.
Roger Maris
Tony Perez
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Roger Maris and Tony Perez. 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 1950s and the 1960s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Roger Maris | Tony Perez |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,463 | Leads: 2,777 |
| At-Bats | 5,101 | Leads: 9,778 |
| Runs | 826 | Leads: 1,272 |
| Hits | 1,325 | Leads: 2,732 |
| Doubles | 195 | Leads: 505 |
| Triples | 42 | Leads: 79 |
| Home Runs | 275 | Leads: 379 |
| RBI | 851 | Leads: 1,652 |
| Walks | 652 | Leads: 925 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 733 | 1,867 |
| Stolen Bases | 21 | Leads: 49 |
| Batting Avg | .260 | Leads: .279 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .345 | .341 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .476 | .463 |
| OPS | Leads: .822 | .804 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Tony Perez outpaces Roger Maris 28,896 to 17,267 — a longevity gap rather than a per-season one: Tony Perez played 23 seasons to Roger Maris's 13, while Roger Maris carries the higher per-season figure (1,328 to 1,256). 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
Tony Perez — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Tony Perez leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Roger Maris owns OBP and OPS. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Tony Perez. PIV agrees: Tony Perez 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 Tony Perez careers compare
From 1964 through 1968, Roger Maris and Tony Perez were in the majors together. Tony Perez has the far longer record, 2,777 games against 1,463 across 13 and 23 PIV seasons, which inflates every career total. The green cells for Roger Maris are on-base percentage (.345 to .341), slugging percentage (.476 to .463), and OPS (.822 to .804). At the plate, Roger Maris struck out more than walked (733 to 652), and Tony Perez struck out more than walked (1,867 to 925). Home runs make up a larger share of Roger Maris's hits: 275 of 1,325 for Roger Maris, 379 of 2,732 for Tony Perez.
Roger Maris vs Tony Perez: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Roger Maris or Tony Perez?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Tony Perez leads Roger Maris in 11 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Roger Maris or Tony Perez hit more home runs?
- Tony Perez, with 379 to Roger Maris's 275.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Roger Maris, with .822 to Tony Perez's .804.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Tony Perez, with .279 to Roger Maris's .260.
- Who had more hits?
- Tony Perez, with 2,732 to Roger Maris's 1,325.