Buddy Bell vs Josh Donaldson: Career Stats Comparison
Buddy Bell 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). Buddy Bell played 1972–1989 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
Buddy Bell (1972–1989) and Josh Donaldson (2010–2023) — they broke in during the 1970s and the 2010s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Buddy Bell finished with 2,514 hits and 201 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 Buddy Bell's 201.
- Who had the higher OPS? Josh Donaldson, with .847 to Buddy Bell's .747.
- Who had the higher batting average? Buddy Bell, with .279 to Josh Donaldson's .261.
- Who had more hits? Buddy Bell, with 2,514 to Josh Donaldson's 1,310.
- Who drove in more runs? Buddy Bell, with 1,106 to Josh Donaldson's 816.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Josh Donaldson, with 18,424 career PIV to Buddy Bell's 10,176.
Buddy Bell
Josh Donaldson
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Buddy Bell 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 1970s and the 2010s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Buddy Bell | Josh Donaldson |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,405 | 1,384 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 8,995 | 5,022 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,151 | 816 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,514 | 1,310 |
| Doubles | Leads: 425 | 287 |
| Triples | Leads: 56 | 12 |
| Home Runs | 201 | Leads: 279 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,106 | 816 |
| Walks | Leads: 836 | 725 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 776 | 1,221 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 55 | 40 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .279 | .261 |
| On-Base % | .341 | Leads: .358 |
| Slugging % | .406 | Leads: .489 |
| OPS | .747 | Leads: .847 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Josh Donaldson outpaces Buddy Bell 18,424 to 10,176 — driven by per-season impact — 1,228 PIV per season to 509 — rather than by longevity, since Josh Donaldson played 15 seasons to Buddy Bell's 20. 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).
Buddy Bell — top 3 seasons by OPS
Josh Donaldson — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Buddy Bell leads in hits, RBI, runs, and stolen bases, while Josh Donaldson owns home runs, OBP, and OPS. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Buddy Bell. Note that PIV actually grades Josh Donaldson ahead, which means Buddy Bell's edge is partly volume. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Buddy Bell and Josh Donaldson careers compare
The two careers never overlapped: Buddy Bell's ended in 1989, and Josh Donaldson debuted in 2010. Buddy Bell has the far longer record, 2,405 games against 1,384 across 20 and 15 PIV seasons, which inflates every career total. Where Josh Donaldson comes out ahead, it is in home runs (279 to 201), on-base percentage (.358 to .341), and slugging percentage (.489 to .406). At the plate, Buddy Bell walked more often than struck out (836 walks, 776 strikeouts), while Josh Donaldson struck out more than walked (1,221 to 725). Josh Donaldson is the more power-leaning hitter, with 279 of 1,310 hits leaving the park. Josh Donaldson's slugging percentage of .489 tops Buddy Bell's .406.
Buddy Bell vs Josh Donaldson: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Buddy Bell or Josh Donaldson?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Buddy Bell leads Josh Donaldson in 10 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Buddy Bell or Josh Donaldson hit more home runs?
- Josh Donaldson, with 279 to Buddy Bell's 201.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Josh Donaldson, with .847 to Buddy Bell's .747.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Buddy Bell, with .279 to Josh Donaldson's .261.
- Who had more hits?
- Buddy Bell, with 2,514 to Josh Donaldson's 1,310.