Kris Bryant vs Josh Donaldson: Career Stats Comparison
Josh Donaldson has the better career line of the two, leading 9 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Kris Bryant played 2015–2025 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
Kris Bryant (2015–2025) and Josh Donaldson (2010–2023) — both broke in during the 2010s, which makes the head-to-head feel like a contemporaries' debate. Kris Bryant finished with 1,068 hits and 184 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 Kris Bryant's 184.
- Who had the higher OPS? Kris Bryant, with .851 to Josh Donaldson's .847.
- Who had the higher batting average? Kris Bryant, with .273 to Josh Donaldson's .261.
- Who had more hits? Josh Donaldson, with 1,310 to Kris Bryant's 1,068.
- Who drove in more runs? Josh Donaldson, with 816 to Kris Bryant's 548.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Josh Donaldson, with 18,424 career PIV to Kris Bryant's 14,279.
- Who won more championships? Kris Bryant, with 1 World Series title to Josh Donaldson's 0.
Kris Bryant
Josh Donaldson
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Kris Bryant 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, so read them against the run environment each player worked in, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Kris Bryant | Josh Donaldson |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,054 | Leads: 1,384 |
| At-Bats | 3,919 | Leads: 5,022 |
| Runs | 667 | Leads: 816 |
| Hits | 1,068 | Leads: 1,310 |
| Doubles | 233 | Leads: 287 |
| Triples | Leads: 19 | 12 |
| Home Runs | 184 | Leads: 279 |
| RBI | 548 | Leads: 816 |
| Walks | 504 | Leads: 725 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,064 | 1,221 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 44 | 40 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .273 | .261 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .368 | .358 |
| Slugging % | .483 | Leads: .489 |
| OPS | Leads: .851 | .847 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Josh Donaldson leads Kris Bryant 18,424 to 14,279 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,228 PIV per season to 1,190, across 15 seasons to 12. 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).
Kris Bryant — top 3 seasons by OPS
Josh Donaldson — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Josh Donaldson leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Kris Bryant owns stolen bases, batting average, and OBP. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Josh Donaldson. PIV agrees: Josh Donaldson grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Kris Bryant and Josh Donaldson careers compare
Kris Bryant and Josh Donaldson were active at the same time between 2015 and 2023. The two careers are close in length, 1,054 games for Kris Bryant and 1,384 for Josh Donaldson across 12 and 15 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Kris Bryant struck out more than walked (1,064 to 504); Josh Donaldson struck out more than walked (1,221 to 725). Josh Donaldson's slugging percentage of .489 tops Kris Bryant's .483. Josh Donaldson owns the better peak by OPS: .946 OPS in 2017 for Kris Bryant against .953 OPS in 2016 for Josh Donaldson.
Kris Bryant vs Josh Donaldson: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Kris Bryant or Josh Donaldson?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Josh Donaldson leads Kris Bryant in 9 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Kris Bryant or Josh Donaldson hit more home runs?
- Josh Donaldson, with 279 to Kris Bryant's 184.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Kris Bryant, with .851 to Josh Donaldson's .847.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Kris Bryant, with .273 to Josh Donaldson's .261.
- Who had more hits?
- Josh Donaldson, with 1,310 to Kris Bryant's 1,068.