Josh Donaldson vs Salvador Perez: Career Stats Comparison
Salvador Perez has the better career line of the two, leading 7 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; Salvador Perez has played 2011–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 Salvador Perez (2011–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; Salvador Perez has 1,845 hits and 324 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? Salvador Perez, with 324 to Josh Donaldson's 279.
- Who had the higher OPS? Josh Donaldson, with .847 to Salvador Perez's .750.
- Who had the higher batting average? Neither — both are at .261.
- Who had more hits? Salvador Perez, with 1,845 to Josh Donaldson's 1,310.
- Who drove in more runs? Salvador Perez, with 1,094 to Josh Donaldson's 816.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Josh Donaldson, with 18,424 career PIV to Salvador Perez's 4,622.
- Who won more championships? Salvador Perez, with 1 World Series title to Josh Donaldson's 0.
Josh Donaldson
Salvador Perez
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Josh Donaldson and Salvador Perez. 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.
Salvador Perez is still active — his totals below are current through October 12, 2026.
| Statistic | Josh Donaldson | Salvador Perez |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,384 | Leads: 1,859 |
| At-Bats | 5,022 | Leads: 7,057 |
| Runs | Leads: 816 | 760 |
| Hits | 1,310 | Leads: 1,845 |
| Doubles | 287 | Leads: 344 |
| Triples | 12 | 12 |
| Home Runs | 279 | Leads: 324 |
| RBI | 816 | Leads: 1,094 |
| Walks | Leads: 725 | 296 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,221 | 1,422 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 40 | 7 |
| Batting Avg | .261 | Leads: .261 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .358 | .299 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .489 | .451 |
| OPS | Leads: .847 | .750 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Josh Donaldson outpaces Salvador Perez 18,424 to 4,622 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,228 PIV per season to 330, 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
Salvador Perez — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Josh Donaldson leads in runs, stolen bases, OBP, and OPS, while Salvador Perez owns hits, home runs, and RBI. 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 Salvador Perez careers compare
Josh Donaldson and Salvador Perez were active at the same time between 2011 and 2023. The two careers are close in length, 1,384 games for Josh Donaldson and 1,859 for Salvador Perez across 15 and 14 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 Salvador Perez struck out more than walked (1,422 to 296). Josh Donaldson's slugging percentage of .489 tops Salvador Perez's .451. On the peak-season lists, Josh Donaldson's best year is 2016 at .953 OPS and Salvador Perez's is 2021 at .859 OPS; Josh Donaldson has the stronger single season. Salvador Perez's numbers are live and update with each game, so the comparison is a snapshot.
Josh Donaldson vs Salvador Perez: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Josh Donaldson or Salvador Perez?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Salvador Perez leads Josh Donaldson in 7 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Josh Donaldson or Salvador Perez hit more home runs?
- Salvador Perez, with 324 to Josh Donaldson's 279.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Josh Donaldson, with .847 to Salvador Perez's .750.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Neither — both are at .261.
- Who had more hits?
- Salvador Perez, with 1,845 to Josh Donaldson's 1,310.