Josh Donaldson vs Mike Moustakas: Career Stats Comparison
Josh Donaldson 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; Mike Moustakas played 2011–2023 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 Mike Moustakas (2011–2023) — both broke in during the 2010s, which makes the head-to-head feel like a contemporaries' debate. Josh Donaldson finished with 1,310 hits and 279 home runs; Mike Moustakas finished with 1,252 hits and 215 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 Mike Moustakas's 215.
- Who had the higher OPS? Josh Donaldson, with .847 to Mike Moustakas's .739.
- Who had the higher batting average? Josh Donaldson, with .261 to Mike Moustakas's .247.
- Who had more hits? Josh Donaldson, with 1,310 to Mike Moustakas's 1,252.
- Who drove in more runs? Josh Donaldson, with 816 to Mike Moustakas's 683.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Josh Donaldson, with 18,424 career PIV to Mike Moustakas's 1,486.
- Who won more championships? Mike Moustakas, with 1 World Series title to Josh Donaldson's 0.
Josh Donaldson
Mike Moustakas
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Josh Donaldson and Mike Moustakas. 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, so read them against the run environment each player worked in, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Josh Donaldson | Mike Moustakas |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,384 | Leads: 1,427 |
| At-Bats | 5,022 | Leads: 5,060 |
| Runs | Leads: 816 | 595 |
| Hits | Leads: 1,310 | 1,252 |
| Doubles | Leads: 287 | 274 |
| Triples | Leads: 12 | 6 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 279 | 215 |
| RBI | Leads: 816 | 683 |
| Walks | Leads: 725 | 399 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,221 | 968 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 40 | 21 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .261 | .247 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .358 | .307 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .489 | .431 |
| OPS | Leads: .847 | .739 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Josh Donaldson outpaces Mike Moustakas 18,424 to 1,486 — driven by per-season impact — 1,228 PIV per season to 99 — rather than by longevity, since Josh Donaldson played 15 seasons to Mike Moustakas'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
Mike Moustakas — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Josh Donaldson leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Mike Moustakas owns no headline categories. 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 Mike Moustakas careers compare
Josh Donaldson and Mike Moustakas were active at the same time between 2011 and 2023. The two careers are close in length, 1,384 games for Josh Donaldson and 1,427 for Mike Moustakas across 15 and 15 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Where Mike Moustakas comes out ahead, it is in games (1,427 to 1,384) and at-bats (5,060 to 5,022). At the plate, Josh Donaldson struck out more than walked (1,221 to 725), and Mike Moustakas struck out more than walked (968 to 399).
Josh Donaldson vs Mike Moustakas: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Josh Donaldson or Mike Moustakas?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Josh Donaldson leads Mike Moustakas in 12 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Josh Donaldson or Mike Moustakas hit more home runs?
- Josh Donaldson, with 279 to Mike Moustakas's 215.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Josh Donaldson, with .847 to Mike Moustakas's .739.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Josh Donaldson, with .261 to Mike Moustakas's .247.
- Who had more hits?
- Josh Donaldson, with 1,310 to Mike Moustakas's 1,252.