Ken Boyer vs Josh Donaldson: Career Stats Comparison
Ken Boyer 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). Ken Boyer played 1955–1969 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
Ken Boyer (1955–1969) and Josh Donaldson (2010–2023) — they broke in during the 1950s and the 2010s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Ken Boyer finished with 2,143 hits and 282 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? Ken Boyer, with 282 to Josh Donaldson's 279.
- Who had the higher OPS? Josh Donaldson, with .847 to Ken Boyer's .810.
- Who had the higher batting average? Ken Boyer, with .287 to Josh Donaldson's .261.
- Who had more hits? Ken Boyer, with 2,143 to Josh Donaldson's 1,310.
- Who drove in more runs? Ken Boyer, with 1,141 to Josh Donaldson's 816.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Ken Boyer, with 22,279 career PIV to Josh Donaldson's 18,424.
- Who won more championships? Ken Boyer, with 1 World Series title to Josh Donaldson's 0.
Ken Boyer
Josh Donaldson
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Ken Boyer 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 1950s and the 2010s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Ken Boyer | Josh Donaldson |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,034 | 1,384 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 7,455 | 5,022 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,104 | 816 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,143 | 1,310 |
| Doubles | Leads: 318 | 287 |
| Triples | Leads: 68 | 12 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 282 | 279 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,141 | 816 |
| Walks | 713 | Leads: 725 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,017 | 1,221 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 105 | 40 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .287 | .261 |
| On-Base % | .349 | Leads: .358 |
| Slugging % | .462 | Leads: .489 |
| OPS | .810 | Leads: .847 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Ken Boyer leads Josh Donaldson 22,279 to 18,424 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,311 PIV per season to 1,228, across 17 seasons to 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).
Ken Boyer — top 3 seasons by OPS
Josh Donaldson — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Ken Boyer 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 Ken Boyer. PIV agrees: Ken Boyer grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Ken Boyer and Josh Donaldson careers compare
No season is shared: Ken Boyer played 1955–1969, Josh Donaldson 2010–2023. The two careers are close in length, 2,034 games for Ken Boyer and 1,384 for Josh Donaldson across 17 and 15 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Josh Donaldson's edges on the table are walks (725 to 713), on-base percentage (.358 to .349), and slugging percentage (.489 to .462). At the plate, Ken Boyer struck out more than walked (1,017 to 713), and 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.
Ken Boyer vs Josh Donaldson: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Ken Boyer or Josh Donaldson?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Ken Boyer leads Josh Donaldson in 10 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Ken Boyer or Josh Donaldson hit more home runs?
- Ken Boyer, with 282 to Josh Donaldson's 279.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Josh Donaldson, with .847 to Ken Boyer's .810.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Ken Boyer, with .287 to Josh Donaldson's .261.
- Who had more hits?
- Ken Boyer, with 2,143 to Josh Donaldson's 1,310.