Josh Donaldson vs John McGraw: Career Stats Comparison
Josh Donaldson and John McGraw 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; John McGraw played 1891–1907 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 John McGraw (1891–1907) — they broke in during the 2010s and the 1890s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Josh Donaldson finished with 1,310 hits and 279 home runs; John McGraw finished with 1,309 hits and 13 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 John McGraw's 13.
- Who had the higher OPS? John McGraw, with .876 to Josh Donaldson's .847.
- Who had the higher batting average? John McGraw, with .334 to Josh Donaldson's .261.
- Who had more hits? Josh Donaldson, with 1,310 to John McGraw's 1,309.
- Who drove in more runs? Josh Donaldson, with 816 to John McGraw's 462.
- Who has the higher career PIV? John McGraw, with 22,730 career PIV to Josh Donaldson's 18,424.
- Who won more championships? John McGraw, with 1 World Series title to Josh Donaldson's 0.
Josh Donaldson
John McGraw
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Josh Donaldson and John McGraw. 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 1890s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Josh Donaldson | John McGraw |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 1,384 | 1,100 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 5,022 | 3,924 |
| Runs | 816 | Leads: 1,024 |
| Hits | Leads: 1,310 | 1,309 |
| Doubles | Leads: 287 | 121 |
| Triples | 12 | Leads: 70 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 279 | 13 |
| RBI | Leads: 816 | 462 |
| Walks | 725 | Leads: 836 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,221 | 155 |
| Stolen Bases | 40 | Leads: 436 |
| Batting Avg | .261 | Leads: .334 |
| On-Base % | .358 | Leads: .466 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .489 | .410 |
| OPS | .847 | Leads: .876 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), John McGraw leads Josh Donaldson 22,730 to 18,424 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,263 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
John McGraw — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, John McGraw leads in runs, stolen bases, batting average, and OBP, while Josh Donaldson owns hits, home runs, and RBI. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to John McGraw. PIV agrees: John McGraw 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 John McGraw careers compare
The two careers never overlapped: John McGraw's ended in 1907, and Josh Donaldson debuted in 2010. The two careers are close in length, 1,384 games for Josh Donaldson and 1,100 for John McGraw across 15 and 18 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Plate discipline differs: Josh Donaldson struck out more than walked (1,221 to 725), but John McGraw walked more often than struck out (836 walks, 155 strikeouts). Home runs make up a larger share of Josh Donaldson's hits: 279 of 1,310 for Josh Donaldson, 13 of 1,309 for John McGraw. John McGraw was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played.
Josh Donaldson vs John McGraw: Frequently Asked Questions
- Did Josh Donaldson or John McGraw hit more home runs?
- Josh Donaldson, with 279 to John McGraw's 13.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- John McGraw, with .876 to Josh Donaldson's .847.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- John McGraw, with .334 to Josh Donaldson's .261.
- Who had more hits?
- Josh Donaldson, with 1,310 to John McGraw's 1,309.