Josh Donaldson vs Paul Goldschmidt: Career Stats Comparison
Paul Goldschmidt has the better career line of the two, leading 14 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Josh Donaldson played 2010–2023 as a hitter; Paul Goldschmidt has played 2011–present 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
Josh Donaldson (2010–2023) and Paul Goldschmidt (2011–present) — both broke in during the 2010s, which makes the head-to-head feel like a contemporaries' debate. Josh Donaldson finished with 1,310 hits and 279 home runs; Paul Goldschmidt has 2,277 hits and 390 home runs through October 12, 2026. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Paul Goldschmidt, with 390 to Josh Donaldson's 279.
- Who had the higher OPS? Paul Goldschmidt, with .877 to Josh Donaldson's .847.
- Who had the higher batting average? Paul Goldschmidt, with .286 to Josh Donaldson's .261.
- Who had more hits? Paul Goldschmidt, with 2,277 to Josh Donaldson's 1,310.
- Who drove in more runs? Paul Goldschmidt, with 1,284 to Josh Donaldson's 816.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Paul Goldschmidt, with 35,401 career PIV to Josh Donaldson's 18,424.
Josh Donaldson
Paul Goldschmidt
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Josh Donaldson and Paul Goldschmidt. 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.
Paul Goldschmidt is still active — his totals below are current through October 12, 2026.
| Statistic | Josh Donaldson | Paul Goldschmidt |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,384 | Leads: 2,179 |
| At-Bats | 5,022 | Leads: 7,953 |
| Runs | 816 | Leads: 1,324 |
| Hits | 1,310 | Leads: 2,277 |
| Doubles | 287 | Leads: 490 |
| Triples | 12 | Leads: 25 |
| Home Runs | 279 | Leads: 390 |
| RBI | 816 | Leads: 1,284 |
| Walks | 725 | Leads: 1,115 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,221 | 2,065 |
| Stolen Bases | 40 | Leads: 175 |
| Batting Avg | .261 | Leads: .286 |
| On-Base % | .358 | Leads: .375 |
| Slugging % | .489 | Leads: .501 |
| OPS | .847 | Leads: .877 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Paul Goldschmidt outpaces Josh Donaldson 35,401 to 18,424 — driven by per-season impact — 2,360 PIV per season to 1,228 — rather than by longevity, since Paul Goldschmidt played 15 seasons to Josh Donaldson's 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).
Josh Donaldson — top 3 seasons by OPS
Paul Goldschmidt — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Paul Goldschmidt 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 Paul Goldschmidt. PIV agrees: Paul Goldschmidt grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Josh Donaldson and Paul Goldschmidt careers compare
Josh Donaldson and Paul Goldschmidt were active at the same time between 2011 and 2023. Paul Goldschmidt has the far longer record, 2,179 games against 1,384 across 15 and 15 PIV seasons, which inflates every career total. Paul Goldschmidt leads every scored row of the table. At the plate, Josh Donaldson struck out more than walked (1,221 to 725), and Paul Goldschmidt struck out more than walked (2,065 to 1,115). Paul Goldschmidt was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played. Paul Goldschmidt's slugging percentage of .501 tops Josh Donaldson's .489. Because Paul Goldschmidt is still playing, the totals above will keep moving through the season.
Josh Donaldson vs Paul Goldschmidt: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Josh Donaldson or Paul Goldschmidt?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Paul Goldschmidt leads Josh Donaldson in 14 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Josh Donaldson or Paul Goldschmidt hit more home runs?
- Paul Goldschmidt, with 390 to Josh Donaldson's 279.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Paul Goldschmidt, with .877 to Josh Donaldson's .847.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Paul Goldschmidt, with .286 to Josh Donaldson's .261.
- Who had more hits?
- Paul Goldschmidt, with 2,277 to Josh Donaldson's 1,310.