Carlos Beltran vs Josh Donaldson: Career Stats Comparison
Carlos Beltran has the better career line of the two, leading 11 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Carlos Beltran played 1998–2017 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
Carlos Beltran (1998–2017) and Josh Donaldson (2010–2023) — they broke in during the 1990s and the 2010s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Carlos Beltran finished with 2,725 hits and 435 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? Carlos Beltran, with 435 to Josh Donaldson's 279.
- Who had the higher OPS? Josh Donaldson, with .847 to Carlos Beltran's .837.
- Who had the higher batting average? Carlos Beltran, with .279 to Josh Donaldson's .261.
- Who had more hits? Carlos Beltran, with 2,725 to Josh Donaldson's 1,310.
- Who drove in more runs? Carlos Beltran, with 1,587 to Josh Donaldson's 816.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Carlos Beltran, with 23,622 career PIV to Josh Donaldson's 18,424.
- Who won more championships? Carlos Beltran, with 1 World Series title to Josh Donaldson's 0.
Carlos Beltran
Josh Donaldson
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Carlos Beltran 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 1990s and the 2010s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Carlos Beltran | Josh Donaldson |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,586 | 1,384 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 9,768 | 5,022 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,582 | 816 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,725 | 1,310 |
| Doubles | Leads: 565 | 287 |
| Triples | Leads: 78 | 12 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 435 | 279 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,587 | 816 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,084 | 725 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,795 | 1,221 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 312 | 40 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .279 | .261 |
| On-Base % | .350 | Leads: .358 |
| Slugging % | .486 | Leads: .489 |
| OPS | .837 | Leads: .847 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Carlos Beltran leads Josh Donaldson 23,622 to 18,424 — a longevity gap rather than a per-season one: Carlos Beltran played 23 seasons to Josh Donaldson's 15, while Josh Donaldson carries the higher per-season figure (1,228 to 1,027). 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).
Carlos Beltran — top 3 seasons by OPS
Josh Donaldson — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Carlos Beltran leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Josh Donaldson owns OBP and OPS. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Carlos Beltran. PIV agrees: Carlos Beltran grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Carlos Beltran and Josh Donaldson careers compare
From 2010 through 2017, Carlos Beltran and Josh Donaldson were in the majors together. The table compares 2,586 games of Carlos Beltran with 1,384 of Josh Donaldson across 23 and 15 PIV seasons; totals favor the longer career by default. The green cells for Josh Donaldson are on-base percentage (.358 to .350), slugging percentage (.489 to .486), and OPS (.847 to .837). At the plate, Carlos Beltran struck out more than walked (1,795 to 1,084), and Josh Donaldson struck out more than walked (1,221 to 725). Home runs make up a larger share of Josh Donaldson's hits: 435 of 2,725 for Carlos Beltran, 279 of 1,310 for Josh Donaldson.
Carlos Beltran vs Josh Donaldson: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Carlos Beltran or Josh Donaldson?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Carlos Beltran leads Josh Donaldson in 11 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Carlos Beltran or Josh Donaldson hit more home runs?
- Carlos Beltran, with 435 to Josh Donaldson's 279.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Josh Donaldson, with .847 to Carlos Beltran's .837.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Carlos Beltran, with .279 to Josh Donaldson's .261.
- Who had more hits?
- Carlos Beltran, with 2,725 to Josh Donaldson's 1,310.