George Brett vs Josh Donaldson: Career Stats Comparison
George Brett has the better career line of the two, leading 13 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). George Brett played 1973–1993 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
George Brett (1973–1993) and Josh Donaldson (2010–2023) — they broke in during the 1970s and the 2010s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. George Brett finished with 3,154 hits and 317 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? George Brett, with 317 to Josh Donaldson's 279.
- Who had the higher OPS? George Brett, with .857 to Josh Donaldson's .847.
- Who had the higher batting average? George Brett, with .305 to Josh Donaldson's .261.
- Who had more hits? George Brett, with 3,154 to Josh Donaldson's 1,310.
- Who drove in more runs? George Brett, with 1,596 to Josh Donaldson's 816.
- Who has the higher career PIV? George Brett, with 41,511 career PIV to Josh Donaldson's 18,424.
- Who won more championships? George Brett, with 1 World Series title to Josh Donaldson's 0.
George Brett
Josh Donaldson
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for George Brett 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 | George Brett | Josh Donaldson |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,707 | 1,384 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 10,349 | 5,022 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,583 | 816 |
| Hits | Leads: 3,154 | 1,310 |
| Doubles | Leads: 665 | 287 |
| Triples | Leads: 137 | 12 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 317 | 279 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,596 | 816 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,096 | 725 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 908 | 1,221 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 201 | 40 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .305 | .261 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .369 | .358 |
| Slugging % | .487 | Leads: .489 |
| OPS | Leads: .857 | .847 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), George Brett outpaces Josh Donaldson 41,511 to 18,424 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,977 PIV per season to 1,228, across 21 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).
George Brett — top 3 seasons by OPS
Josh Donaldson — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, George Brett leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Josh Donaldson owns no headline categories. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to George Brett. PIV agrees: George Brett grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the George Brett and Josh Donaldson careers compare
No season is shared: George Brett played 1973–1993, Josh Donaldson 2010–2023. Playing time explains much of the gap in the counting rows: George Brett appeared in 2,707 games to Josh Donaldson's 1,384. The green cells for Josh Donaldson are slugging percentage (.489 to .487). At the plate, George Brett walked more often than struck out (1,096 walks, 908 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. George Brett was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played.
George Brett vs Josh Donaldson: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, George Brett or Josh Donaldson?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, George Brett leads Josh Donaldson in 13 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did George Brett or Josh Donaldson hit more home runs?
- George Brett, with 317 to Josh Donaldson's 279.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- George Brett, with .857 to Josh Donaldson's .847.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- George Brett, with .305 to Josh Donaldson's .261.
- Who had more hits?
- George Brett, with 3,154 to Josh Donaldson's 1,310.