Josh Donaldson vs Alex Rodriguez: Career Stats Comparison
Alex Rodriguez has the better career line of the two, leading 14 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; Alex Rodriguez played 1994–2016 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 Alex Rodriguez (1994–2016) — 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; Alex Rodriguez finished with 3,115 hits and 696 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Alex Rodriguez, with 696 to Josh Donaldson's 279.
- Who had the higher OPS? Alex Rodriguez, with .930 to Josh Donaldson's .847.
- Who had the higher batting average? Alex Rodriguez, with .295 to Josh Donaldson's .261.
- Who had more hits? Alex Rodriguez, with 3,115 to Josh Donaldson's 1,310.
- Who drove in more runs? Alex Rodriguez, with 2,086 to Josh Donaldson's 816.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Alex Rodriguez, with 54,389 career PIV to Josh Donaldson's 18,424.
- Who won more championships? Alex Rodriguez, with 1 World Series title to Josh Donaldson's 0.
Josh Donaldson
Alex Rodriguez
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Josh Donaldson and Alex Rodriguez. 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 | Alex Rodriguez |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,384 | Leads: 2,784 |
| At-Bats | 5,022 | Leads: 10,566 |
| Runs | 816 | Leads: 2,021 |
| Hits | 1,310 | Leads: 3,115 |
| Doubles | 287 | Leads: 548 |
| Triples | 12 | Leads: 31 |
| Home Runs | 279 | Leads: 696 |
| RBI | 816 | Leads: 2,086 |
| Walks | 725 | Leads: 1,338 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,221 | 2,287 |
| Stolen Bases | 40 | Leads: 329 |
| Batting Avg | .261 | Leads: .295 |
| On-Base % | .358 | Leads: .380 |
| Slugging % | .489 | Leads: .550 |
| OPS | .847 | Leads: .930 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Alex Rodriguez outpaces Josh Donaldson 54,389 to 18,424 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,472 PIV per season to 1,228, across 22 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
Alex Rodriguez — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Alex Rodriguez leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Josh Donaldson owns no headline categories. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Alex Rodriguez. PIV agrees: Alex Rodriguez 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 Alex Rodriguez careers compare
Josh Donaldson and Alex Rodriguez were active at the same time between 2010 and 2016. Alex Rodriguez has the far longer record, 2,784 games against 1,384 across 15 and 22 PIV seasons, which inflates every career total. Every scored category on the table goes to Alex Rodriguez. Josh Donaldson struck out more than walked (1,221 to 725); Alex Rodriguez struck out more than walked (2,287 to 1,338). On the bases, Alex Rodriguez stole more often per game played (40 steals in 1,384 games for Josh Donaldson, 329 in 2,784 for Alex Rodriguez). In slugging percentage, Alex Rodriguez holds the edge, .550 to .489.
Josh Donaldson vs Alex Rodriguez: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Josh Donaldson or Alex Rodriguez?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Alex Rodriguez leads Josh Donaldson in 14 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Josh Donaldson or Alex Rodriguez hit more home runs?
- Alex Rodriguez, with 696 to Josh Donaldson's 279.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Alex Rodriguez, with .930 to Josh Donaldson's .847.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Alex Rodriguez, with .295 to Josh Donaldson's .261.
- Who had more hits?
- Alex Rodriguez, with 3,115 to Josh Donaldson's 1,310.