Josh Donaldson vs Bryce Harper: Career Stats Comparison
Bryce Harper 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; Bryce Harper has played 2012–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 Bryce Harper (2012–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; Bryce Harper has 1,956 hits and 392 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? Bryce Harper, with 392 to Josh Donaldson's 279.
- Who had the higher OPS? Bryce Harper, with .902 to Josh Donaldson's .847.
- Who had the higher batting average? Bryce Harper, with .279 to Josh Donaldson's .261.
- Who had more hits? Bryce Harper, with 1,956 to Josh Donaldson's 1,310.
- Who drove in more runs? Bryce Harper, with 1,138 to Josh Donaldson's 816.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Bryce Harper, with 34,405 career PIV to Josh Donaldson's 18,424.
Josh Donaldson
Bryce Harper
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Josh Donaldson and Bryce Harper. 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.
Bryce Harper is still active — his totals below are current through October 12, 2026.
| Statistic | Josh Donaldson | Bryce Harper |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,384 | Leads: 1,947 |
| At-Bats | 5,022 | Leads: 7,012 |
| Runs | 816 | Leads: 1,247 |
| Hits | 1,310 | Leads: 1,956 |
| Doubles | 287 | Leads: 433 |
| Triples | 12 | Leads: 27 |
| Home Runs | 279 | Leads: 392 |
| RBI | 816 | Leads: 1,138 |
| Walks | 725 | Leads: 1,212 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,221 | 1,802 |
| Stolen Bases | 40 | Leads: 159 |
| Batting Avg | .261 | Leads: .279 |
| On-Base % | .358 | Leads: .386 |
| Slugging % | .489 | Leads: .516 |
| OPS | .847 | Leads: .902 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Bryce Harper outpaces Josh Donaldson 34,405 to 18,424 — driven by per-season impact — 2,458 PIV per season to 1,228 — rather than by longevity, since Bryce Harper played 14 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
Bryce Harper — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Bryce Harper 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 Bryce Harper. PIV agrees: Bryce Harper 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 Bryce Harper careers compare
The careers of Josh Donaldson (2010–2023) and Bryce Harper (2012–present) overlapped from 2012 to 2023, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. With 1,384 games against 1,947 across 15 and 14 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. Bryce Harper leads every scored row of the table. Josh Donaldson struck out more than walked (1,221 to 725); Bryce Harper struck out more than walked (1,802 to 1,212). Bryce Harper was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played. Bryce Harper's on-base percentage of .386 tops Josh Donaldson's .358. Because Bryce Harper is still playing, the totals above will keep moving through the season.
Josh Donaldson vs Bryce Harper: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Josh Donaldson or Bryce Harper?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Bryce Harper leads Josh Donaldson in 14 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Josh Donaldson or Bryce Harper hit more home runs?
- Bryce Harper, with 392 to Josh Donaldson's 279.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Bryce Harper, with .902 to Josh Donaldson's .847.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Bryce Harper, with .279 to Josh Donaldson's .261.
- Who had more hits?
- Bryce Harper, with 1,956 to Josh Donaldson's 1,310.