Roger Maris vs Ron Santo: Career Stats Comparison
Ron Santo has the better career line of the two, leading 13 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; Ron Santo played 1960–1974 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 Ron Santo (1960–1974) — 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; Ron Santo finished with 2,254 hits and 342 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Ron Santo, with 342 to Roger Maris's 275.
- Who had the higher OPS? Ron Santo, with .826 to Roger Maris's .822.
- Who had the higher batting average? Ron Santo, with .277 to Roger Maris's .260.
- Who had more hits? Ron Santo, with 2,254 to Roger Maris's 1,325.
- Who drove in more runs? Ron Santo, with 1,331 to Roger Maris's 851.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Ron Santo, with 33,743 career PIV to Roger Maris's 17,267.
- Who won more championships? Roger Maris, with 3 World Series titles to Ron Santo's 0.
Roger Maris
Ron Santo
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Roger Maris and Ron Santo. 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 | Ron Santo |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,463 | Leads: 2,243 |
| At-Bats | 5,101 | Leads: 8,143 |
| Runs | 826 | Leads: 1,138 |
| Hits | 1,325 | Leads: 2,254 |
| Doubles | 195 | Leads: 365 |
| Triples | 42 | Leads: 67 |
| Home Runs | 275 | Leads: 342 |
| RBI | 851 | Leads: 1,331 |
| Walks | 652 | Leads: 1,108 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 733 | 1,343 |
| Stolen Bases | 21 | Leads: 35 |
| Batting Avg | .260 | Leads: .277 |
| On-Base % | .345 | Leads: .362 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .476 | .464 |
| OPS | .822 | Leads: .826 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Ron Santo outpaces Roger Maris 33,743 to 17,267 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,250 PIV per season to 1,328, across 15 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
Ron Santo — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Ron Santo 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 Ron Santo. PIV agrees: Ron Santo 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 Ron Santo careers compare
Roger Maris and Ron Santo were active at the same time between 1960 and 1968. Playing time explains much of the gap in the counting rows: Roger Maris appeared in 1,463 games to Ron Santo's 2,243. Roger Maris's edges on the table are slugging percentage (.476 to .464). Roger Maris struck out more than walked (733 to 652); Ron Santo struck out more than walked (1,343 to 1,108). Roger Maris is the more power-leaning hitter, with 275 of 1,325 hits leaving the park. In slugging percentage, Roger Maris holds the edge, .476 to .464.
Roger Maris vs Ron Santo: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Roger Maris or Ron Santo?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Ron Santo leads Roger Maris in 13 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Roger Maris or Ron Santo hit more home runs?
- Ron Santo, with 342 to Roger Maris's 275.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Ron Santo, with .826 to Roger Maris's .822.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Ron Santo, with .277 to Roger Maris's .260.
- Who had more hits?
- Ron Santo, with 2,254 to Roger Maris's 1,325.