Josh Donaldson vs Todd Helton: Career Stats Comparison
Todd Helton 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). Josh Donaldson played 2010–2023 as a hitter; Todd Helton played 1997–2013 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 Todd Helton (1997–2013) — they broke in during the 2010s and the 1990s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Josh Donaldson finished with 1,310 hits and 279 home runs; Todd Helton finished with 2,519 hits and 369 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Todd Helton, with 369 to Josh Donaldson's 279.
- Who had the higher OPS? Todd Helton, with .953 to Josh Donaldson's .847.
- Who had the higher batting average? Todd Helton, with .316 to Josh Donaldson's .261.
- Who had more hits? Todd Helton, with 2,519 to Josh Donaldson's 1,310.
- Who drove in more runs? Todd Helton, with 1,406 to Josh Donaldson's 816.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Todd Helton, with 48,515 career PIV to Josh Donaldson's 18,424.
Josh Donaldson
Todd Helton
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Josh Donaldson and Todd Helton. 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 2010s and the 1990s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Josh Donaldson | Todd Helton |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,384 | Leads: 2,247 |
| At-Bats | 5,022 | Leads: 7,962 |
| Runs | 816 | Leads: 1,401 |
| Hits | 1,310 | Leads: 2,519 |
| Doubles | 287 | Leads: 592 |
| Triples | 12 | Leads: 37 |
| Home Runs | 279 | Leads: 369 |
| RBI | 816 | Leads: 1,406 |
| Walks | 725 | Leads: 1,335 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,221 | 1,175 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 40 | 37 |
| Batting Avg | .261 | Leads: .316 |
| On-Base % | .358 | Leads: .414 |
| Slugging % | .489 | Leads: .539 |
| OPS | .847 | Leads: .953 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Todd Helton outpaces Josh Donaldson 48,515 to 18,424 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,854 PIV per season to 1,228, across 17 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).
Josh Donaldson — top 3 seasons by OPS
Todd Helton — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Todd Helton leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Josh Donaldson owns stolen bases. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Todd Helton. PIV agrees: Todd Helton 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 Todd Helton careers compare
The careers of Josh Donaldson (2010–2023) and Todd Helton (1997–2013) overlapped from 2010 to 2013, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. The table compares 1,384 games of Josh Donaldson with 2,247 of Todd Helton across 15 and 17 PIV seasons; totals favor the longer career by default. The green cells for Josh Donaldson are stolen bases (40 to 37). At the plate, Josh Donaldson struck out more than walked (1,221 to 725), while Todd Helton walked more often than struck out (1,335 walks, 1,175 strikeouts). Josh Donaldson is the more power-leaning hitter, with 279 of 1,310 hits leaving the park. Todd Helton's slugging percentage of .539 tops Josh Donaldson's .489.
Josh Donaldson vs Todd Helton: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Josh Donaldson or Todd Helton?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Todd Helton leads Josh Donaldson in 13 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Josh Donaldson or Todd Helton hit more home runs?
- Todd Helton, with 369 to Josh Donaldson's 279.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Todd Helton, with .953 to Josh Donaldson's .847.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Todd Helton, with .316 to Josh Donaldson's .261.
- Who had more hits?
- Todd Helton, with 2,519 to Josh Donaldson's 1,310.