Josh Donaldson vs Andrew McCutchen: Career Stats Comparison
Andrew McCutchen has the better career line of the two, leading 12 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; Andrew McCutchen has played 2009–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 Andrew McCutchen (2009–present) — 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; Andrew McCutchen has 2,280 hits and 333 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? Andrew McCutchen, with 333 to Josh Donaldson's 279.
- Who had the higher OPS? Josh Donaldson, with .847 to Andrew McCutchen's .819.
- Who had the higher batting average? Andrew McCutchen, with .271 to Josh Donaldson's .261.
- Who had more hits? Andrew McCutchen, with 2,280 to Josh Donaldson's 1,310.
- Who drove in more runs? Andrew McCutchen, with 1,157 to Josh Donaldson's 816.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Andrew McCutchen, with 25,074 career PIV to Josh Donaldson's 18,424.
Josh Donaldson
Andrew McCutchen
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Josh Donaldson and Andrew McCutchen. 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.
Andrew McCutchen is still active — his totals below are current through October 12, 2026.
| Statistic | Josh Donaldson | Andrew McCutchen |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,384 | Leads: 2,299 |
| At-Bats | 5,022 | Leads: 8,423 |
| Runs | 816 | Leads: 1,298 |
| Hits | 1,310 | Leads: 2,280 |
| Doubles | 287 | Leads: 453 |
| Triples | 12 | Leads: 50 |
| Home Runs | 279 | Leads: 333 |
| RBI | 816 | Leads: 1,157 |
| Walks | 725 | Leads: 1,192 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,221 | 1,915 |
| Stolen Bases | 40 | Leads: 220 |
| Batting Avg | .261 | Leads: .271 |
| On-Base % | .358 | Leads: .364 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .489 | .455 |
| OPS | Leads: .847 | .819 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Andrew McCutchen outpaces Josh Donaldson 25,074 to 18,424 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,393 PIV per season to 1,228, across 18 seasons to 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
Andrew McCutchen — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Andrew McCutchen leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Josh Donaldson owns OPS. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Andrew McCutchen. PIV agrees: Andrew McCutchen 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 Andrew McCutchen careers compare
Josh Donaldson and Andrew McCutchen were active at the same time between 2010 and 2023. The table compares 1,384 games of Josh Donaldson with 2,299 of Andrew McCutchen across 15 and 18 PIV seasons; totals favor the longer career by default. Josh Donaldson's edges on the table are slugging percentage (.489 to .455) and OPS (.847 to .819). Josh Donaldson struck out more than walked (1,221 to 725); Andrew McCutchen struck out more than walked (1,915 to 1,192). Home runs make up a larger share of Josh Donaldson's hits: 279 of 1,310 for Josh Donaldson, 333 of 2,280 for Andrew McCutchen. Because Andrew McCutchen is still playing, the totals above will keep moving through the season.
Josh Donaldson vs Andrew McCutchen: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Josh Donaldson or Andrew McCutchen?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Andrew McCutchen leads Josh Donaldson in 12 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Josh Donaldson or Andrew McCutchen hit more home runs?
- Andrew McCutchen, with 333 to Josh Donaldson's 279.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Josh Donaldson, with .847 to Andrew McCutchen's .819.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Andrew McCutchen, with .271 to Josh Donaldson's .261.
- Who had more hits?
- Andrew McCutchen, with 2,280 to Josh Donaldson's 1,310.