Yordan Alvarez vs Josh Donaldson: Career Stats Comparison
Josh Donaldson has the better career line of the two, leading 10 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Yordan Alvarez has played 2019–present as a hitter; Josh Donaldson played 2010–2023 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
Yordan Alvarez (2019–present) and Josh Donaldson (2010–2023) — both broke in during the 2010s, which makes the head-to-head feel like a contemporaries' debate. Yordan Alvarez has 907 hits and 212 home runs through October 12, 2026; Josh Donaldson finished with 1,310 hits and 279 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Josh Donaldson, with 279 to Yordan Alvarez's 212.
- Who had the higher OPS? Yordan Alvarez, with .975 to Josh Donaldson's .847.
- Who had the higher batting average? Yordan Alvarez, with .300 to Josh Donaldson's .261.
- Who had more hits? Josh Donaldson, with 1,310 to Yordan Alvarez's 907.
- Who drove in more runs? Josh Donaldson, with 816 to Yordan Alvarez's 599.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Josh Donaldson, with 18,424 career PIV to Yordan Alvarez's 16,264.
- Who won more championships? Yordan Alvarez, with 1 World Series title to Josh Donaldson's 0.
Yordan Alvarez
Josh Donaldson
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Yordan Alvarez and Josh Donaldson. 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.
Yordan Alvarez is still active — his totals below are current through October 12, 2026.
| Statistic | Yordan Alvarez | Josh Donaldson |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 835 | Leads: 1,384 |
| At-Bats | 3,022 | Leads: 5,022 |
| Runs | 534 | Leads: 816 |
| Hits | 907 | Leads: 1,310 |
| Doubles | 190 | Leads: 287 |
| Triples | 7 | Leads: 12 |
| Home Runs | 212 | Leads: 279 |
| RBI | 599 | Leads: 816 |
| Walks | 455 | Leads: 725 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 686 | 1,221 |
| Stolen Bases | 10 | Leads: 40 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .300 | .261 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .397 | .358 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .578 | .489 |
| OPS | Leads: .975 | .847 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Josh Donaldson leads Yordan Alvarez 18,424 to 16,264 — a longevity gap rather than a per-season one: Josh Donaldson played 15 seasons to Yordan Alvarez's 7, while Yordan Alvarez carries the higher per-season figure (2,323 to 1,228). 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).
Yordan Alvarez — top 3 seasons by OPS
Josh Donaldson — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Josh Donaldson leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Yordan Alvarez owns batting average, OBP, and OPS. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Josh Donaldson. PIV agrees: Josh Donaldson grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Yordan Alvarez and Josh Donaldson careers compare
The careers of Yordan Alvarez (2019–present) and Josh Donaldson (2010–2023) overlapped from 2019 to 2023, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. The table compares 835 games of Yordan Alvarez with 1,384 of Josh Donaldson across 7 and 15 PIV seasons; totals favor the longer career by default. The green cells for Yordan Alvarez are batting average (.300 to .261), on-base percentage (.397 to .358), and slugging percentage (.578 to .489). Yordan Alvarez struck out more than walked (686 to 455); Josh Donaldson struck out more than walked (1,221 to 725). Yordan Alvarez's slugging percentage of .578 tops Josh Donaldson's .489. Yordan Alvarez's numbers are live and update with each game, so the comparison is a snapshot.
Yordan Alvarez vs Josh Donaldson: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Yordan Alvarez or Josh Donaldson?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Josh Donaldson leads Yordan Alvarez in 10 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Yordan Alvarez or Josh Donaldson hit more home runs?
- Josh Donaldson, with 279 to Yordan Alvarez's 212.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Yordan Alvarez, with .975 to Josh Donaldson's .847.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Yordan Alvarez, with .300 to Josh Donaldson's .261.
- Who had more hits?
- Josh Donaldson, with 1,310 to Yordan Alvarez's 907.