Josh Donaldson vs Aaron Judge: Career Stats Comparison
Aaron Judge 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; Aaron Judge has played 2016–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 Aaron Judge (2016–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; Aaron Judge has 1,262 hits and 386 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? Aaron Judge, with 386 to Josh Donaldson's 279.
- Who had the higher OPS? Aaron Judge, with 1.020 to Josh Donaldson's .847.
- Who had the higher batting average? Aaron Judge, with .291 to Josh Donaldson's .261.
- Who had more hits? Josh Donaldson, with 1,310 to Aaron Judge's 1,262.
- Who drove in more runs? Aaron Judge, with 871 to Josh Donaldson's 816.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Aaron Judge, with 37,037 career PIV to Josh Donaldson's 18,424.
Josh Donaldson
Aaron Judge
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Josh Donaldson and Aaron Judge. 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.
Aaron Judge is still active — his totals below are current through October 12, 2026.
| Statistic | Josh Donaldson | Aaron Judge |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 1,384 | 1,211 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 5,022 | 4,342 |
| Runs | 816 | Leads: 918 |
| Hits | Leads: 1,310 | 1,262 |
| Doubles | Leads: 287 | 213 |
| Triples | Leads: 12 | 7 |
| Home Runs | 279 | Leads: 386 |
| RBI | 816 | Leads: 871 |
| Walks | 725 | Leads: 860 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,221 | 1,454 |
| Stolen Bases | 40 | Leads: 70 |
| Batting Avg | .261 | Leads: .291 |
| On-Base % | .358 | Leads: .410 |
| Slugging % | .489 | Leads: .610 |
| OPS | .847 | Leads: 1.020 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Aaron Judge outpaces Josh Donaldson 37,037 to 18,424 — driven by per-season impact — 3,704 PIV per season to 1,228 — rather than by longevity, since Aaron Judge played 10 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
Aaron Judge — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Aaron Judge leads in home runs, RBI, runs, and stolen bases, while Josh Donaldson owns hits. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Aaron Judge. PIV agrees: Aaron Judge 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 Aaron Judge careers compare
From 2016 through 2023, Josh Donaldson and Aaron Judge were in the majors together. With 1,384 games against 1,211 across 15 and 10 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. Josh Donaldson struck out more than walked (1,221 to 725); Aaron Judge struck out more than walked (1,454 to 860). Home runs make up a larger share of Aaron Judge's hits: 279 of 1,310 for Josh Donaldson, 386 of 1,262 for Aaron Judge. In on-base percentage, Aaron Judge holds the edge, .410 to .358. Aaron Judge owns the better peak by OPS: .953 OPS in 2016 for Josh Donaldson against 1.159 OPS in 2024 for Aaron Judge. Aaron Judge's numbers are live and update with each game, so the comparison is a snapshot.
Josh Donaldson vs Aaron Judge: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Josh Donaldson or Aaron Judge?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Aaron Judge leads Josh Donaldson in 9 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Josh Donaldson or Aaron Judge hit more home runs?
- Aaron Judge, with 386 to Josh Donaldson's 279.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Aaron Judge, with 1.020 to Josh Donaldson's .847.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Aaron Judge, with .291 to Josh Donaldson's .261.
- Who had more hits?
- Josh Donaldson, with 1,310 to Aaron Judge's 1,262.