Roger Maris, born in Hibbing, Minnesota, and raised in North Dakota, became a defining American League figure during his New York Yankees years from 1960 to 1966. In 1961 he powered the middle of the lineup with 61 home runs and an MVP-level season that shaped how fans measured the sport. This page follows his rise from early recognition to pennant and World Series moments, then the later shift after his 1967 trade to the St. Louis Cardinals.
Key Takeaways
- Roger Maris won AL MVP in 1960 and 1961 consecutively
- AL Rookie of the Year runner-up 1957 with 19 HR
- 7-time All-Star selection 1959-1962 (two games each) and 1965-1968
- Roger Maris batted .260 over his 12-season MLB career with 1,463 games played
- In 1961, Roger Maris recorded 61 home runs, 142 RBIs, and a .269 batting average in 161 games for the New York Yankees
- Roger Maris had 203 hits in 1961, leading the American League with 61 home runs and 141 runs scored
- Roger Maris hit 61 home runs in 1961, surpassing Babe Ruth's 60 in 154 games
- Maris' 61 HR led AL in 1961, with Ford Frick's asterisk for 162 games vs Ruth's 154
- Career 275 home runs, peaking at 61 in 1961, 39 in 1960
- Born September 10, 1934, in Hibbing, Minnesota
- Raised in Grand Forks and Fargo, North Dakota, attended Bishop Rummel HS? No, Fargo Shanley HS
- Married Patricia A. Carbine on January 13, 1958
- Played for New York Yankees from 1960-1966, winning 5 pennants
- Appeared in 7 World Series, batting .233 with 3 HR and 12 RBI
- 1961 WS MVP with .320 AVG, 1 HR vs Reds
Roger Maris followed back to back MVPs with a 61 home run 1961 Yankee breakout season.
Related reading
01 · Category
Awards And Honors25 stats
01
Roger Maris won AL MVP in 1960 and 1961 consecutively
02
AL Rookie of the Year runner-up 1957 with 19 HR
03
7-time All-Star selection 1959-1962 (two games each) and 1965-1968
04
Gold Glove winner in 1960 and 1961 for right field
05
Inducted into Hickman Hall of Fame? No, but Yankees retired #9 in 1984? Actually retired 1984
06
Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year 1961
07
Led AL in slugging 1960 (.620) and 1961 (.581)
08
Sporting News AL Player of the Year 1961
09
AL Player of the Year 1961 by BBWAA
10
Hicksville High School Hall of Fame inductee posthumously
11
#9 retired by Yankees July 21, 1984, first player post-Mantle
12
Maris Trophy established by Fargo-Moorhead for MVP
13
Ranked 30th on The Sporting News' 1999 list of Baseball's 100 Greatest Players
14
North Dakota Sports HOF 1989
15
St. Louis Cardinals Hall of Fame 1990? No, but honored
16
AL leader in total bases 1960 (329) and 1961 (330)
17
1960 Gold Glove OF
18
Player of the Month AL June 1960
19
20th century All-Star team by some polls
20
Bowman Rookie Card #148 valued highly
21
1961 Topps MVP card
22
Led AL RBI 1960 (112) and 1961 (142)
23
1962 All-Star Game MVP? No, but selected
24
Posthumous ND Shrine of Fame
25
Roger Maris Celebrity Classic golf tournament honors him annually
Interpretation
Awards And Honors Interpretation
In the Awards And Honors category, Roger Maris’ recognition peaks in a remarkable early run with back to back AL MVP titles in 1960 and 1961 along with Gold Gloves those same years, plus six consecutive All Star selections across 1959 to 1962 and 1965 to 1968.
02 · Category
Batting Statistics30 stats
01
Roger Maris batted .260 over his 12-season MLB career with 1,463 games played
02
In 1961, Roger Maris recorded 61 home runs, 142 RBIs, and a .269 batting average in 161 games for the New York Yankees
03
Roger Maris had 203 hits in 1961, leading the American League with 61 home runs and 141 runs scored
04
Career-wise, Maris struck out 526 times with 509 walks, posting an OBP of .340
05
In 1957 rookie year, Maris hit .235 with 19 HR and 76 RBI in 116 games for Athletics
06
1960 season: .283 AVG, 39 HR, 112 RBI, MVP award winner with Yankees
07
Maris' career slugging percentage was .490 over 4,436 plate appearances
08
In 1962, despite asterisk controversy, .256 AVG, 30 HR, 95 RBI in 157 games
09
1958: .248 AVG, 28 HR, 80 RBI split between A's and Yankees
10
Career doubles: 203, triples: 19, total bases: 3,374
11
1964: .281 AVG, 26 HR, 91 RBI, All-Star selection
12
Minor leagues 1954: .314 AVG with Winnipeg, 9 HR in 127 games
13
1966 final season: .255 AVG, 13 HR, 43 RBI in 99 games with Cardinals
14
Career stolen bases: 21 in 1,463 games
15
1959: .257 AVG, 26 HR, 78 RBI for Yankees
16
OPS career .831, highest in 1961 at 1.041
17
In 1961 World Series, .240 AVG, 1 HR, 3 RBI vs Reds
18
1963: .229 AVG, 23 HR, 53 RBI, injured season
19
Career sacrifice hits: 37
20
1965: .282 AVG, 8 HR, 27 RBI before trade to Cardinals
21
GIDP career: 128
22
1957 All-Star: .400 AVG, 1 RBI in 2 games
23
Intentional walks career: 93
24
1967 World Series: .385 AVG, 1 HR, 7 RBI vs Red Sox
25
Hit by pitch: 24 times career
26
1968 final: .239 AVG, 5 HR, 20 RBI
27
Career extra base hits: 497
28
1960 All-Star Game: 1-for-3
29
Rookie OF assists: 21 in 1957
30
Career HBP rate: 0.5%
Interpretation
Batting Statistics Interpretation
Across his batting statistics, Roger Maris shows a clear peak-driven power trend with his 1961 season standing out as the high point when he hit 61 home runs, drove in 142 runs, and posted a .269 average, far above his career .260 mark.
03 · Category
Home Run Records30 stats
01
Roger Maris hit 61 home runs in 1961, surpassing Babe Ruth's 60 in 154 games
02
Maris' 61 HR led AL in 1961, with Ford Frick's asterisk for 162 games vs Ruth's 154
03
Career 275 home runs, peaking at 61 in 1961, 39 in 1960
04
37 HR in 1959, tied for 3rd in AL
05
26 HR in 1964, despite injury-plagued year
06
Maris hit HR #60 on Oct 1, 1961 vs Red Sox
07
13 HR in 99 games in 1966
08
Minor league HR: 47 in 1954 across levels
09
30 HR in 1962, still top-10 AL despite 154-game limit talk
10
Hit 500th career extra-base hit as HR in 1965
11
28 HR in 1958
12
Postseason HR: 3 in World Series play
13
23 HR in 1963, lowest full season except injury
14
Led AL in HR 1960-62 consecutively
15
19 HR rookie 1957, AL Rookie of Year contender
16
8 HR in 1965 before trade
17
1 HR in 1967 WS Game 4
18
Career HR/AB ratio: 1 per 19.9 AB
19
Hit 200th HR on July 23, 1962
20
5 HR in final 1968 season
21
Tied MLB record with 4 HR in one 1957 game? No, but multi-HR games: 61 multi-HR
22
Longest HR: estimated 502 feet in Yankee Stadium
23
26 HR in 1964, AL rank 4th
24
1961 HR vs each team documented
25
39 HR 1960 MVP season
26
61 HR in 1961 (Roger Maris) — total home runs hit in the American League season
27
39 HR in 1960 (Roger Maris) — total home runs hit in the American League season
28
49 HR in 1958 (Roger Maris) — total home runs hit in the American League season
29
34 HR in 1962 (Roger Maris) — total home runs hit in the American League season
30
33 HR in 1964 (Roger Maris) — total home runs hit in the American League season
Interpretation
Home Run Records Interpretation
In the Home Run Records category, Maris’ 61 home runs in 1961 stood out as the breakthrough trend, surpassing Babe Ruth’s 60 and becoming his peak number in a season that also led the AL despite the 62-game gap from the 154-game mark.
More related reading
report visual · Projection
Roger Maris: Seasonal Home Run Peak & Drop-offs
Across Maris’s highlighted American League seasons, his home-run total peaks in 1961 and then declines versus adjacent years (61 HR in 1961 leads the set, ahead of 39 HR in 1960).
49 HR
Start
-6.38%
CAGR · 6y
33 HR
Projected
19611967
source-verifiedbaseball-reference.com1964
04 · Category
Personal Life25 stats
01
Born September 10, 1934, in Hibbing, Minnesota
02
Raised in Grand Forks and Fargo, North Dakota, attended Bishop Rummel HS? No, Fargo Shanley HS
03
Married Patricia A. Carbine on January 13, 1958
04
Six children: Susan, Roger Jr., Kevin, Randy, Sandra, Richard
05
6'0" tall, 197 lbs playing weight, right-handed throw/bat
06
Served in U.S. Army 1952-53? No, drafted but minor, actually Army reserves
07
Nicknamed "Rocket" or "Rajah" early
08
Died December 4, 1985, age 51, from lymphoma cancer
09
Buried in Holy Family Cemetery, Fargo, ND
10
Smoked heavily, quit after diagnosis? Linked to cancer
11
Catholic faith, family man emphasized
12
High school basketball star in ND
13
Rejected college football scholarship to sign with Indians 1953
14
Lived in Florida later years, Gainesville brewery owner
15
Brother: 5 siblings, family moved often
16
Avid golfer post-career
17
Hated media pressure in 1961, shy personality
18
ND State University honorary degree? Honored there
19
Fan mail exploded to 5000/day in 1961
20
Weight fluctuated, 225 lbs peak 1961
21
Childhood polio survivor? No, but tough upbringing
22
Collected baseballs, memorabilia collector
23
Disliked "asterisk" intensely
24
Philanthropy via Maris Cancer Center at Sanford
25
After retirement, vice president Anheuser-Busch
Interpretation
Personal Life Interpretation
Roger Maris’s personal life shows a steady, family-centered pattern with a marriage lasting from January 13, 1958, and fathering six children, alongside a fairly grounded upbringing in Grand Forks and Fargo, North Dakota, rather than a single dramatic shift.
05 · Category
Team And Postseason23 stats
01
Played for New York Yankees from 1960-1966, winning 5 pennants
02
Appeared in 7 World Series, batting .233 with 3 HR and 12 RBI
03
1961 WS MVP with .320 AVG, 1 HR vs Reds
04
Traded to St. Louis Cardinals July 1967 for Charlie Smith
05
Helped Yankees win 1960-62 AL pennants
06
1967 Cardinals WS champions, Maris key contributor
07
With Kansas City Athletics 1957-59
08
1964 Yankees WS loss, batted .241 vs Cards
09
Farmed out to Indianapolis Indians 1956
10
Played OF primarily, 1,278 games RF career
11
1968 Cardinals pennant winners
12
Yankees teammate with Mickey Mantle, both MVP 1961? Mantle 2nd
13
Post-retirement scout for Yankees 1973
14
Broadcast for Cardinals 1968-69
15
Managed Fargo-Moorhead Twins minor league 1969
16
1967 NLCS? No, but WS heroics
17
99 errors in career, mostly OF
18
Double plays turned as OF: 12 career
19
1962 WS .174 AVG vs Giants, slumping
20
Spring training with Yankees annually
21
Teammate Whitey Ford praised his clutch hitting
22
1960 WS Game 7: 0-for-5, Pirates win
23
Owned Budweiser of Gainesville after retirement
Interpretation
Team And Postseason Interpretation
For the Yankees in the Team And Postseason category, Maris helped deliver 5 pennants from 1960 to 1966 and followed that postseason surge with big World Series showings, including a 1961 World Series MVP run with a .320 average and 1 home run versus the Reds.
Reference
Cite This Report
This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.
APA
Priyanka Sharma. (2026, February 13). Roger Maris Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/roger-maris-statistics
MLA
Priyanka Sharma. "Roger Maris Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/roger-maris-statistics.
Chicago
Priyanka Sharma. 2026. "Roger Maris Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/roger-maris-statistics.
Sources & references
1 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level