Josh Donaldson vs Dustin Pedroia: Career Stats Comparison
Dustin Pedroia has the better career line of the two, leading 9 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; Dustin Pedroia played 2006–2019 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 Dustin Pedroia (2006–2019) — 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; Dustin Pedroia finished with 1,805 hits and 140 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 Dustin Pedroia's 140.
- Who had the higher OPS? Josh Donaldson, with .847 to Dustin Pedroia's .805.
- Who had the higher batting average? Dustin Pedroia, with .299 to Josh Donaldson's .261.
- Who had more hits? Dustin Pedroia, with 1,805 to Josh Donaldson's 1,310.
- Who drove in more runs? Josh Donaldson, with 816 to Dustin Pedroia's 725.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Josh Donaldson, with 18,424 career PIV to Dustin Pedroia's 13,484.
- Who won more championships? Dustin Pedroia, with 3 World Series titles to Josh Donaldson's 0.
Josh Donaldson
Dustin Pedroia
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Josh Donaldson and Dustin Pedroia. 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.
| Statistic | Josh Donaldson | Dustin Pedroia |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,384 | Leads: 1,512 |
| At-Bats | 5,022 | Leads: 6,031 |
| Runs | 816 | Leads: 922 |
| Hits | 1,310 | Leads: 1,805 |
| Doubles | 287 | Leads: 394 |
| Triples | 12 | Leads: 15 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 279 | 140 |
| RBI | Leads: 816 | 725 |
| Walks | Leads: 725 | 624 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,221 | 654 |
| Stolen Bases | 40 | Leads: 138 |
| Batting Avg | .261 | Leads: .299 |
| On-Base % | .358 | Leads: .365 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .489 | .439 |
| OPS | Leads: .847 | .805 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Josh Donaldson outpaces Dustin Pedroia 18,424 to 13,484 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,228 PIV per season to 963, across 15 seasons to 14. 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
Dustin Pedroia — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Dustin Pedroia leads in hits, runs, stolen bases, and batting average, while Josh Donaldson owns home runs, RBI, and OPS. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Dustin Pedroia. Note that PIV actually grades Josh Donaldson ahead, which means Dustin Pedroia's edge is partly volume. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Josh Donaldson and Dustin Pedroia careers compare
From 2010 through 2019, Josh Donaldson and Dustin Pedroia were in the majors together. The two careers are close in length, 1,384 games for Josh Donaldson and 1,512 for Dustin Pedroia across 15 and 14 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Josh Donaldson struck out more than walked (1,221 to 725); Dustin Pedroia struck out more than walked (654 to 624). Josh Donaldson is the more power-leaning hitter, with 279 of 1,310 hits leaving the park. Dustin Pedroia was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played. In on-base percentage, Dustin Pedroia holds the edge, .365 to .358.
Josh Donaldson vs Dustin Pedroia: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Josh Donaldson or Dustin Pedroia?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Dustin Pedroia leads Josh Donaldson in 9 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Josh Donaldson or Dustin Pedroia hit more home runs?
- Josh Donaldson, with 279 to Dustin Pedroia's 140.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Josh Donaldson, with .847 to Dustin Pedroia's .805.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Dustin Pedroia, with .299 to Josh Donaldson's .261.
- Who had more hits?
- Dustin Pedroia, with 1,805 to Josh Donaldson's 1,310.