Josh Donaldson vs Brian McCann: Career Stats Comparison
Josh Donaldson and Brian McCann are close to even, splitting the 14 scored categories on this page 7–7 (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Josh Donaldson played 2010–2023 as a hitter; Brian McCann played 2005–2019 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 Brian McCann (2005–2019) — 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; Brian McCann finished with 1,590 hits and 282 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Brian McCann, with 282 to Josh Donaldson's 279.
- Who had the higher OPS? Josh Donaldson, with .847 to Brian McCann's .789.
- Who had the higher batting average? Brian McCann, with .262 to Josh Donaldson's .261.
- Who had more hits? Brian McCann, with 1,590 to Josh Donaldson's 1,310.
- Who drove in more runs? Brian McCann, with 1,018 to Josh Donaldson's 816.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Josh Donaldson, with 18,424 career PIV to Brian McCann's 9,133.
- Who won more championships? Brian McCann, with 1 World Series title to Josh Donaldson's 0.
Josh Donaldson
Brian McCann
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Josh Donaldson and Brian McCann. 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 | Brian McCann |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,384 | Leads: 1,755 |
| At-Bats | 5,022 | Leads: 6,067 |
| Runs | Leads: 816 | 742 |
| Hits | 1,310 | Leads: 1,590 |
| Doubles | 287 | Leads: 294 |
| Triples | Leads: 12 | 5 |
| Home Runs | 279 | Leads: 282 |
| RBI | 816 | Leads: 1,018 |
| Walks | Leads: 725 | 640 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,221 | 1,054 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 40 | 25 |
| Batting Avg | .261 | Leads: .262 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .358 | .337 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .489 | .452 |
| OPS | Leads: .847 | .789 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Josh Donaldson outpaces Brian McCann 18,424 to 9,133 — driven by per-season impact — 1,228 PIV per season to 609 — rather than by longevity, since Josh Donaldson played 15 seasons to Brian McCann'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
Brian McCann — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Josh Donaldson leads in runs, stolen bases, OBP, and OPS, while Brian McCann owns hits, home runs, and RBI. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Josh Donaldson. PIV agrees: Josh Donaldson 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 Brian McCann careers compare
Josh Donaldson and Brian McCann were active at the same time between 2010 and 2019. With 1,384 games against 1,755 across 15 and 15 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. At the plate, Josh Donaldson struck out more than walked (1,221 to 725), and Brian McCann struck out more than walked (1,054 to 640). Brian McCann owns the better peak by OPS: .953 OPS in 2016 for Josh Donaldson against .961 OPS in 2006 for Brian McCann.
Josh Donaldson vs Brian McCann: Frequently Asked Questions
- Did Josh Donaldson or Brian McCann hit more home runs?
- Brian McCann, with 282 to Josh Donaldson's 279.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Josh Donaldson, with .847 to Brian McCann's .789.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Brian McCann, with .262 to Josh Donaldson's .261.
- Who had more hits?
- Brian McCann, with 1,590 to Josh Donaldson's 1,310.