Josh Donaldson vs Scott Rolen: Career Stats Comparison
Scott Rolen 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; Scott Rolen played 1996–2012 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 Scott Rolen (1996–2012) — 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; Scott Rolen finished with 2,077 hits and 316 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Scott Rolen, with 316 to Josh Donaldson's 279.
- Who had the higher OPS? Scott Rolen, with .855 to Josh Donaldson's .847.
- Who had the higher batting average? Scott Rolen, with .281 to Josh Donaldson's .261.
- Who had more hits? Scott Rolen, with 2,077 to Josh Donaldson's 1,310.
- Who drove in more runs? Scott Rolen, with 1,287 to Josh Donaldson's 816.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Scott Rolen, with 20,867 career PIV to Josh Donaldson's 18,424.
- Who won more championships? Scott Rolen, with 1 World Series title to Josh Donaldson's 0.
Josh Donaldson
Scott Rolen
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Josh Donaldson and Scott Rolen. 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 | Scott Rolen |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,384 | Leads: 2,038 |
| At-Bats | 5,022 | Leads: 7,398 |
| Runs | 816 | Leads: 1,211 |
| Hits | 1,310 | Leads: 2,077 |
| Doubles | 287 | Leads: 517 |
| Triples | 12 | Leads: 43 |
| Home Runs | 279 | Leads: 316 |
| RBI | 816 | Leads: 1,287 |
| Walks | 725 | Leads: 899 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,221 | 1,410 |
| Stolen Bases | 40 | Leads: 118 |
| Batting Avg | .261 | Leads: .281 |
| On-Base % | .358 | Leads: .364 |
| Slugging % | .489 | Leads: .490 |
| OPS | .847 | Leads: .855 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Scott Rolen leads Josh Donaldson 20,867 to 18,424 — a longevity gap rather than a per-season one: Scott Rolen played 19 seasons to Josh Donaldson's 15, while Josh Donaldson carries the higher per-season figure (1,228 to 1,098). 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
Scott Rolen — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Scott Rolen 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 Scott Rolen. PIV agrees: Scott Rolen 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 Scott Rolen careers compare
The careers of Josh Donaldson (2010–2023) and Scott Rolen (1996–2012) overlapped from 2010 to 2012, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. With 1,384 games against 2,038 across 15 and 19 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. Scott Rolen leads every scored row of the table. Josh Donaldson struck out more than walked (1,221 to 725); Scott Rolen struck out more than walked (1,410 to 899). Home runs make up a larger share of Josh Donaldson's hits: 279 of 1,310 for Josh Donaldson, 316 of 2,077 for Scott Rolen. Scott Rolen was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played.
Josh Donaldson vs Scott Rolen: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Josh Donaldson or Scott Rolen?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Scott Rolen leads Josh Donaldson in 14 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Josh Donaldson or Scott Rolen hit more home runs?
- Scott Rolen, with 316 to Josh Donaldson's 279.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Scott Rolen, with .855 to Josh Donaldson's .847.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Scott Rolen, with .281 to Josh Donaldson's .261.
- Who had more hits?
- Scott Rolen, with 2,077 to Josh Donaldson's 1,310.