Josh Donaldson vs Joe Mauer: Career Stats Comparison
Joe Mauer has the better career line of the two, leading 11 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; Joe Mauer played 2004–2018 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 Joe Mauer (2004–2018) — 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; Joe Mauer finished with 2,123 hits and 143 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 Joe Mauer's 143.
- Who had the higher OPS? Josh Donaldson, with .847 to Joe Mauer's .827.
- Who had the higher batting average? Joe Mauer, with .306 to Josh Donaldson's .261.
- Who had more hits? Joe Mauer, with 2,123 to Josh Donaldson's 1,310.
- Who drove in more runs? Joe Mauer, with 923 to Josh Donaldson's 816.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Joe Mauer, with 20,061 career PIV to Josh Donaldson's 18,424.
Josh Donaldson
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Josh Donaldson and Joe Mauer. 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 | Joe Mauer |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,384 | Leads: 1,858 |
| At-Bats | 5,022 | Leads: 6,930 |
| Runs | 816 | Leads: 1,018 |
| Hits | 1,310 | Leads: 2,123 |
| Doubles | 287 | Leads: 428 |
| Triples | 12 | Leads: 30 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 279 | 143 |
| RBI | 816 | Leads: 923 |
| Walks | 725 | Leads: 939 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,221 | 1,034 |
| Stolen Bases | 40 | Leads: 52 |
| Batting Avg | .261 | Leads: .306 |
| On-Base % | .358 | Leads: .388 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .489 | .439 |
| OPS | Leads: .847 | .827 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Joe Mauer leads Josh Donaldson 20,061 to 18,424 — driven by per-season impact — 1,337 PIV per season to 1,228 — rather than by longevity, since Joe Mauer played 15 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
Joe Mauer — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Joe Mauer 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 Joe Mauer. PIV agrees: Joe Mauer 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 Joe Mauer careers compare
Josh Donaldson and Joe Mauer were active at the same time between 2010 and 2018. The two careers are close in length, 1,384 games for Josh Donaldson and 1,858 for Joe Mauer across 15 and 15 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. The green cells for Josh Donaldson are home runs (279 to 143), slugging percentage (.489 to .439), and OPS (.847 to .827). At the plate, Josh Donaldson struck out more than walked (1,221 to 725), and Joe Mauer struck out more than walked (1,034 to 939). Home runs make up a larger share of Josh Donaldson's hits: 279 of 1,310 for Josh Donaldson, 143 of 2,123 for Joe Mauer.
Josh Donaldson vs Joe Mauer: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Josh Donaldson or Joe Mauer?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Joe Mauer leads Josh Donaldson in 11 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Josh Donaldson or Joe Mauer hit more home runs?
- Josh Donaldson, with 279 to Joe Mauer's 143.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Josh Donaldson, with .847 to Joe Mauer's .827.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Joe Mauer, with .306 to Josh Donaldson's .261.
- Who had more hits?
- Joe Mauer, with 2,123 to Josh Donaldson's 1,310.