Josh Donaldson vs George Kell: Career Stats Comparison
George Kell has the better career line of the two, leading 10 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; George Kell played 1943–1957 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 George Kell (1943–1957) — they broke in during the 2010s and the 1940s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Josh Donaldson finished with 1,310 hits and 279 home runs; George Kell finished with 2,054 hits and 78 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Josh Donaldson, with 279 to George Kell's 78.
- Who had the higher OPS? Josh Donaldson, with .847 to George Kell's .781.
- Who had the higher batting average? George Kell, with .306 to Josh Donaldson's .261.
- Who had more hits? George Kell, with 2,054 to Josh Donaldson's 1,310.
- Who drove in more runs? George Kell, with 870 to Josh Donaldson's 816.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Josh Donaldson, with 18,424 career PIV to George Kell's 12,722.
Josh Donaldson
George Kell
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Josh Donaldson and George Kell. 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 1940s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Josh Donaldson | George Kell |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,384 | Leads: 1,795 |
| At-Bats | 5,022 | Leads: 6,702 |
| Runs | 816 | Leads: 881 |
| Hits | 1,310 | Leads: 2,054 |
| Doubles | 287 | Leads: 385 |
| Triples | 12 | Leads: 50 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 279 | 78 |
| RBI | 816 | Leads: 870 |
| Walks | Leads: 725 | 621 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,221 | 287 |
| Stolen Bases | 40 | Leads: 51 |
| Batting Avg | .261 | Leads: .306 |
| On-Base % | .358 | Leads: .367 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .489 | .414 |
| OPS | Leads: .847 | .781 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Josh Donaldson outpaces George Kell 18,424 to 12,722 — driven by per-season impact — 1,228 PIV per season to 670 — rather than by longevity, since Josh Donaldson played 15 seasons to George Kell's 19. 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
George Kell — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, George Kell leads in hits, RBI, runs, and stolen bases, while Josh Donaldson owns home runs and OPS. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to George Kell. Note that PIV actually grades Josh Donaldson ahead, which means George Kell's edge is partly volume. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Josh Donaldson and George Kell careers compare
George Kell (1943–1957) was finished before Josh Donaldson (2010–2023) arrived, so they never shared a league. The two careers are close in length, 1,384 games for Josh Donaldson and 1,795 for George Kell across 15 and 19 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Josh Donaldson's edges on the table are home runs (279 to 78), walks (725 to 621), and slugging percentage (.489 to .414). At the plate, Josh Donaldson struck out more than walked (1,221 to 725), while George Kell walked more often than struck out (621 walks, 287 strikeouts).
Josh Donaldson vs George Kell: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Josh Donaldson or George Kell?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, George Kell leads Josh Donaldson in 10 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Josh Donaldson or George Kell hit more home runs?
- Josh Donaldson, with 279 to George Kell's 78.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Josh Donaldson, with .847 to George Kell's .781.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- George Kell, with .306 to Josh Donaldson's .261.
- Who had more hits?
- George Kell, with 2,054 to Josh Donaldson's 1,310.