Home Run Baker vs Josh Donaldson: Career Stats Comparison
Home Run Baker 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). Home Run Baker played 1908–1922 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
Home Run Baker (1908–1922) and Josh Donaldson (2010–2023) — they broke in during the 1900s and the 2010s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Home Run Baker finished with 1,838 hits and 96 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.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Josh Donaldson, with 279 to Home Run Baker's 96.
- Who had the higher OPS? Josh Donaldson, with .847 to Home Run Baker's .805.
- Who had the higher batting average? Home Run Baker, with .307 to Josh Donaldson's .261.
- Who had more hits? Home Run Baker, with 1,838 to Josh Donaldson's 1,310.
- Who drove in more runs? Home Run Baker, with 987 to Josh Donaldson's 816.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Home Run Baker, with 22,634 career PIV to Josh Donaldson's 18,424.
- Who won more championships? Home Run Baker, with 3 World Series titles to Josh Donaldson's 0.
Home Run Baker
Josh Donaldson
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Home Run Baker 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, and the 1900s and the 2010s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Home Run Baker | Josh Donaldson |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 1,575 | 1,384 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 5,984 | 5,022 |
| Runs | Leads: 887 | 816 |
| Hits | Leads: 1,838 | 1,310 |
| Doubles | Leads: 315 | 287 |
| Triples | Leads: 103 | 12 |
| Home Runs | 96 | Leads: 279 |
| RBI | Leads: 987 | 816 |
| Walks | 473 | Leads: 725 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 344 | 1,221 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 235 | 40 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .307 | .261 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .363 | .358 |
| Slugging % | .442 | Leads: .489 |
| OPS | .805 | Leads: .847 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Home Run Baker leads Josh Donaldson 22,634 to 18,424 — driven by per-season impact — 1,741 PIV per season to 1,228 — rather than by longevity, since Home Run Baker played 13 seasons to Josh Donaldson's 15. 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).
Home Run Baker — top 3 seasons by OPS
Josh Donaldson — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Home Run Baker leads in hits, RBI, runs, and stolen bases, while Josh Donaldson owns home runs and OPS. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Home Run Baker. PIV agrees: Home Run Baker grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Home Run Baker and Josh Donaldson careers compare
No season is shared: Home Run Baker played 1908–1922, Josh Donaldson 2010–2023. With 1,575 games against 1,384 across 13 and 15 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. Where Josh Donaldson comes out ahead, it is in home runs (279 to 96), walks (725 to 473), and slugging percentage (.489 to .442). Plate discipline differs: Home Run Baker walked more often than struck out (473 walks, 344 strikeouts), but Josh Donaldson struck out more than walked (1,221 to 725). Home runs make up a larger share of Josh Donaldson's hits: 96 of 1,838 for Home Run Baker, 279 of 1,310 for Josh Donaldson.
Home Run Baker vs Josh Donaldson: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Home Run Baker or Josh Donaldson?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Home Run Baker leads Josh Donaldson in 10 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Home Run Baker or Josh Donaldson hit more home runs?
- Josh Donaldson, with 279 to Home Run Baker's 96.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Josh Donaldson, with .847 to Home Run Baker's .805.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Home Run Baker, with .307 to Josh Donaldson's .261.
- Who had more hits?
- Home Run Baker, with 1,838 to Josh Donaldson's 1,310.