Josh Donaldson vs Ryan Howard: Career Stats Comparison
Ryan Howard 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). Josh Donaldson played 2010–2023 as a hitter; Ryan Howard played 2004–2016 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 Ryan Howard (2004–2016) — they broke in during the 2010s and the 2000s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Josh Donaldson finished with 1,310 hits and 279 home runs; Ryan Howard finished with 1,475 hits and 382 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Ryan Howard, with 382 to Josh Donaldson's 279.
- Who had the higher OPS? Ryan Howard, with .859 to Josh Donaldson's .847.
- Who had the higher batting average? Josh Donaldson, with .261 to Ryan Howard's .258.
- Who had more hits? Ryan Howard, with 1,475 to Josh Donaldson's 1,310.
- Who drove in more runs? Ryan Howard, with 1,194 to Josh Donaldson's 816.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Ryan Howard, with 19,167 career PIV to Josh Donaldson's 18,424.
- Who won more championships? Ryan Howard, with 1 World Series title to Josh Donaldson's 0.
Josh Donaldson
Ryan Howard
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Josh Donaldson and Ryan Howard. 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 2000s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Josh Donaldson | Ryan Howard |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,384 | Leads: 1,572 |
| At-Bats | 5,022 | Leads: 5,707 |
| Runs | 816 | Leads: 848 |
| Hits | 1,310 | Leads: 1,475 |
| Doubles | Leads: 287 | 277 |
| Triples | 12 | Leads: 21 |
| Home Runs | 279 | Leads: 382 |
| RBI | 816 | Leads: 1,194 |
| Walks | Leads: 725 | 709 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,221 | 1,843 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 40 | 12 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .261 | .258 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .358 | .343 |
| Slugging % | .489 | Leads: .515 |
| OPS | .847 | Leads: .859 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Ryan Howard edges Josh Donaldson 19,167 to 18,424 — driven by per-season impact — 1,474 PIV per season to 1,228 — rather than by longevity, since Ryan Howard played 13 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
Ryan Howard — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Ryan Howard leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Josh Donaldson owns stolen bases, batting average, and OBP. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Ryan Howard. PIV agrees: Ryan Howard 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 Ryan Howard careers compare
Josh Donaldson and Ryan Howard were active at the same time between 2010 and 2016. The two careers are close in length, 1,384 games for Josh Donaldson and 1,572 for Ryan Howard across 15 and 13 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. At the plate, Josh Donaldson struck out more than walked (1,221 to 725), and Ryan Howard struck out more than walked (1,843 to 709). In slugging percentage, Ryan Howard holds the edge, .515 to .489. Ryan Howard owns the better peak by OPS: .953 OPS in 2016 for Josh Donaldson against 1.084 OPS in 2006 for Ryan Howard.
Josh Donaldson vs Ryan Howard: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Josh Donaldson or Ryan Howard?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Ryan Howard leads Josh Donaldson in 9 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Josh Donaldson or Ryan Howard hit more home runs?
- Ryan Howard, with 382 to Josh Donaldson's 279.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Ryan Howard, with .859 to Josh Donaldson's .847.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Josh Donaldson, with .261 to Ryan Howard's .258.
- Who had more hits?
- Ryan Howard, with 1,475 to Josh Donaldson's 1,310.