Josh Donaldson vs David Ortiz: Career Stats Comparison
David Ortiz has the better career line of the two, leading 13 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; David Ortiz played 1997–2016 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 David Ortiz (1997–2016) — they broke in during the 2010s and the 1990s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Josh Donaldson finished with 1,310 hits and 279 home runs; David Ortiz finished with 2,472 hits and 541 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? David Ortiz, with 541 to Josh Donaldson's 279.
- Who had the higher OPS? David Ortiz, with .931 to Josh Donaldson's .847.
- Who had the higher batting average? David Ortiz, with .286 to Josh Donaldson's .261.
- Who had more hits? David Ortiz, with 2,472 to Josh Donaldson's 1,310.
- Who drove in more runs? David Ortiz, with 1,768 to Josh Donaldson's 816.
- Who has the higher career PIV? David Ortiz, with 46,358 career PIV to Josh Donaldson's 18,424.
- Who won more championships? David Ortiz, with 3 World Series titles to Josh Donaldson's 0.
Josh Donaldson
David Ortiz
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Josh Donaldson and David Ortiz. 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 1990s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Josh Donaldson | David Ortiz |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,384 | Leads: 2,408 |
| At-Bats | 5,022 | Leads: 8,640 |
| Runs | 816 | Leads: 1,419 |
| Hits | 1,310 | Leads: 2,472 |
| Doubles | 287 | Leads: 632 |
| Triples | 12 | Leads: 19 |
| Home Runs | 279 | Leads: 541 |
| RBI | 816 | Leads: 1,768 |
| Walks | 725 | Leads: 1,319 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,221 | 1,750 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 40 | 17 |
| Batting Avg | .261 | Leads: .286 |
| On-Base % | .358 | Leads: .380 |
| Slugging % | .489 | Leads: .552 |
| OPS | .847 | Leads: .931 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), David Ortiz outpaces Josh Donaldson 46,358 to 18,424 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,318 PIV per season to 1,228, across 20 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
David Ortiz — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, David Ortiz leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Josh Donaldson owns stolen bases. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to David Ortiz. PIV agrees: David Ortiz 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 David Ortiz careers compare
From 2010 through 2016, Josh Donaldson and David Ortiz were in the majors together. David Ortiz has the far longer record, 2,408 games against 1,384 across 15 and 20 PIV seasons, which inflates every career total. Josh Donaldson's edges on the table are stolen bases (40 to 17). At the plate, Josh Donaldson struck out more than walked (1,221 to 725), and David Ortiz struck out more than walked (1,750 to 1,319). In slugging percentage, David Ortiz holds the edge, .552 to .489. On the peak-season lists, Josh Donaldson's best year is 2016 at .953 OPS and David Ortiz's is 2007 at 1.066 OPS; David Ortiz has the stronger single season.
Josh Donaldson vs David Ortiz: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Josh Donaldson or David Ortiz?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, David Ortiz leads Josh Donaldson in 13 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Josh Donaldson or David Ortiz hit more home runs?
- David Ortiz, with 541 to Josh Donaldson's 279.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- David Ortiz, with .931 to Josh Donaldson's .847.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- David Ortiz, with .286 to Josh Donaldson's .261.
- Who had more hits?
- David Ortiz, with 2,472 to Josh Donaldson's 1,310.