Who is Roger Maris and is he in the Hall of Fame? 

Last night, Aaron Judge surpassed Roger Maris for both the New York Yankees' single-season home run record as well as the American League home run record. Before last night, both of these records were shared by both Maris and Judge for 61 total home runs. Now, with Judge taking over the record, it has left baseball fans wondering about Roger Maris' legacy.

While Maris may not be a household name for younger MLB fans, Aaron Judge's quest for 62 home runs has shone a little on the former New York slugger. The record may be broken, but many younger fans are finding the answer to an important: Who was Roger Maris?

""Roger Maris was as good a man and as good a ballplayer as there ever was." ~ Mickey Mantle" - BronxZooNYY

Maris made his Major League debut on April 16, 1957, with the Cleveland Indians. We would spend one season with Cleveland and the Oakland Athletics before being traded to the New York Yankees in a seven-player deal in December 1959.

Upon becoming a Yankee, Maris became a different level of player. He would hit two home runs in his first game as a Yankee, finishing the season with 39 home runs, a .283 batting average, and an MVP award.

His 1961 season was the best of his career, and one of the best seasons of all time. En route to his second MVP award, Maris hit a then-record of 61 home runs while driving 141 RBIs. However, people questioned the legitimacy of his home run record due to the season expanding to 162 games, as opposed to the 154 games that Babe Ruth hit 60 in.

"Roger Maris hit his 61st home run exactly 61 years ago today in 1961" - Talkin' Yanks

Why is Roger Maris not in the Baseball Hall of Fame?

By the end of his 12-year career, Maris went on to win three World Series Championships, two MVPs, and a Gold Glove Award, as well as being named to 7 All-Star teams. With a resume such as his, and the attention brought to Maris by Aaron Judge, has left many fans asking: why is Maris not in the Hall of Fame?

"I was today years old when I found out that Roger Maris is not in the Baseball Hall of Fame." - Ken Baker

The arguments against Maris include his struggles with durability and longevity, with his 1,463 games played being on the very low end for a candidate. More critics claim that he only played at the Hall of Fame level for 2 or 3 seasons, with the remainder of his career being average.

While the Hall of Fame may always elude Maris, the rejuvination of interest in his career may work in his favor to one day get the call to Cooperstown.