Miguel Cabrera vs Josh Donaldson: Career Stats Comparison
Miguel Cabrera 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). Miguel Cabrera played 2003–2023 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
Miguel Cabrera (2003–2023) and Josh Donaldson (2010–2023) — they broke in during the 2000s and the 2010s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Miguel Cabrera finished with 3,174 hits and 511 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? Miguel Cabrera, with 511 to Josh Donaldson's 279.
- Who had the higher OPS? Miguel Cabrera, with .901 to Josh Donaldson's .847.
- Who had the higher batting average? Miguel Cabrera, with .306 to Josh Donaldson's .261.
- Who had more hits? Miguel Cabrera, with 3,174 to Josh Donaldson's 1,310.
- Who drove in more runs? Miguel Cabrera, with 1,881 to Josh Donaldson's 816.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Miguel Cabrera, with 49,680 career PIV to Josh Donaldson's 18,424.
- Who won more championships? Miguel Cabrera, with 1 World Series title to Josh Donaldson's 0.
Miguel Cabrera
Josh Donaldson
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Miguel Cabrera 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 2000s and the 2010s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Miguel Cabrera | Josh Donaldson |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,797 | 1,384 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 10,356 | 5,022 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,551 | 816 |
| Hits | Leads: 3,174 | 1,310 |
| Doubles | Leads: 627 | 287 |
| Triples | Leads: 17 | 12 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 511 | 279 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,881 | 816 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,258 | 725 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 2,105 | 1,221 |
| Stolen Bases | 40 | 40 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .306 | .261 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .382 | .358 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .518 | .489 |
| OPS | Leads: .901 | .847 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Miguel Cabrera outpaces Josh Donaldson 49,680 to 18,424 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,366 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).
Miguel Cabrera — top 3 seasons by OPS
Josh Donaldson — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Miguel Cabrera 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 Miguel Cabrera. PIV agrees: Miguel Cabrera grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Miguel Cabrera and Josh Donaldson careers compare
The careers of Miguel Cabrera (2003–2023) and Josh Donaldson (2010–2023) overlapped from 2010 to 2023, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. Playing time explains much of the gap in the counting rows: Miguel Cabrera appeared in 2,797 games to Josh Donaldson's 1,384. Every scored category on the table goes to Miguel Cabrera. At the plate, Miguel Cabrera struck out more than walked (2,105 to 1,258), and Josh Donaldson struck out more than walked (1,221 to 725). Home runs make up a larger share of Josh Donaldson's hits: 511 of 3,174 for Miguel Cabrera, 279 of 1,310 for Josh Donaldson. Miguel Cabrera's slugging percentage of .518 tops Josh Donaldson's .489.
Miguel Cabrera vs Josh Donaldson: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Miguel Cabrera or Josh Donaldson?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Miguel Cabrera leads Josh Donaldson in 13 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Miguel Cabrera or Josh Donaldson hit more home runs?
- Miguel Cabrera, with 511 to Josh Donaldson's 279.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Miguel Cabrera, with .901 to Josh Donaldson's .847.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Miguel Cabrera, with .306 to Josh Donaldson's .261.
- Who had more hits?
- Miguel Cabrera, with 3,174 to Josh Donaldson's 1,310.