Josh Donaldson vs Shohei Ohtani: Career Stats Comparison
Josh Donaldson and Shohei Ohtani 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; Shohei Ohtani has played 2018–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 Shohei Ohtani (2018–present) — 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; Shohei Ohtani has 1,194 hits and 310 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? Shohei Ohtani, with 310 to Josh Donaldson's 279.
- Who had the higher OPS? Shohei Ohtani, with .948 to Josh Donaldson's .847.
- Who had the higher batting average? Shohei Ohtani, with .281 to Josh Donaldson's .261.
- Who had more hits? Josh Donaldson, with 1,310 to Shohei Ohtani's 1,194.
- Who drove in more runs? Josh Donaldson, with 816 to Shohei Ohtani's 750.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Shohei Ohtani, with 24,591 career PIV to Josh Donaldson's 18,424.
- Who won more championships? Shohei Ohtani, with 2 World Series titles to Josh Donaldson's 0.
Josh Donaldson
Shohei Ohtani
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Josh Donaldson and Shohei Ohtani. 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.
Shohei Ohtani is still active — his totals below are current through October 12, 2026.
| Statistic | Josh Donaldson | Shohei Ohtani |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 1,384 | 1,172 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 5,022 | 4,253 |
| Runs | Leads: 816 | 797 |
| Hits | Leads: 1,310 | 1,194 |
| Doubles | Leads: 287 | 218 |
| Triples | 12 | Leads: 49 |
| Home Runs | 279 | Leads: 310 |
| RBI | Leads: 816 | 750 |
| Walks | Leads: 725 | 622 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,221 | 1,256 |
| Stolen Bases | 40 | Leads: 176 |
| Batting Avg | .261 | Leads: .281 |
| On-Base % | .358 | Leads: .375 |
| Slugging % | .489 | Leads: .574 |
| OPS | .847 | Leads: .948 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Shohei Ohtani outpaces Josh Donaldson 24,591 to 18,424 — driven by per-season impact — 3,074 PIV per season to 1,228 — rather than by longevity, since Shohei Ohtani played 8 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
Shohei Ohtani — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Shohei Ohtani leads in home runs, stolen bases, batting average, and OBP, while Josh Donaldson owns hits, RBI, and runs. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Shohei Ohtani. PIV agrees: Shohei Ohtani 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 Shohei Ohtani careers compare
The careers of Josh Donaldson (2010–2023) and Shohei Ohtani (2018–present) overlapped from 2018 to 2023, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. The two careers are close in length, 1,384 games for Josh Donaldson and 1,172 for Shohei Ohtani across 15 and 8 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. At the plate, Josh Donaldson struck out more than walked (1,221 to 725), and Shohei Ohtani struck out more than walked (1,256 to 622). Shohei Ohtani was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played. In slugging percentage, Shohei Ohtani holds the edge, .574 to .489. Shohei Ohtani's numbers are live and update with each game, so the comparison is a snapshot.
Josh Donaldson vs Shohei Ohtani: Frequently Asked Questions
- Did Josh Donaldson or Shohei Ohtani hit more home runs?
- Shohei Ohtani, with 310 to Josh Donaldson's 279.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Shohei Ohtani, with .948 to Josh Donaldson's .847.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Shohei Ohtani, with .281 to Josh Donaldson's .261.
- Who had more hits?
- Josh Donaldson, with 1,310 to Shohei Ohtani's 1,194.