Nolan Arenado vs Josh Donaldson: Career Stats Comparison
Nolan Arenado (2013–present) and Josh Donaldson (2010–2023) — both broke in during the 2010s, which makes the head-to-head feel like a contemporaries' debate. Nolan Arenado finished with 1,921 hits and 353 home runs; Josh Donaldson finished with 1,310 hits and 279 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Nolan Arenado
Josh Donaldson
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Nolan Arenado and Josh Donaldson. Cells highlighted in green mark the category leader. Counting stats reward longevity; the rate stats at the bottom are era-agnostic.
| Statistic | Nolan Arenado | Josh Donaldson |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,787 | 1,384 |
| At-Bats | 6,807 | 5,022 |
| Runs | 992 | 816 |
| Hits | 1,921 | 1,310 |
| Doubles | 405 | 287 |
| Triples | 34 | 12 |
| Home Runs | 353 | 279 |
| RBI | 1,184 | 816 |
| Walks | 577 | 725 |
| Strikeouts | 1,094 | 1,221 |
| Stolen Bases | 31 | 40 |
| Batting Avg | .282 | .261 |
| On-Base % | .338 | .358 |
| Slugging % | .507 | .489 |
| OPS | .846 | .847 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Nolan Arenado leads Josh Donaldson 21,230 to 18,424 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (1,633 vs 1,228 per year). PIV adjusts each season to league baselines, so it's the cleanest way to compare careers across eras.
Peak Seasons
The best single seasons each player produced, ranked by OPS among qualified workloads (300+ at-bats).
Nolan Arenado — top 3 seasons by OPS
Josh Donaldson — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Nolan Arenado leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Josh Donaldson owns stolen bases, OBP, and OPS. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Nolan Arenado. PIV agrees: Nolan Arenado grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.