Josh Donaldson vs Jimmy Rollins: Career Stats Comparison
Jimmy Rollins has the better career line of the two, leading 10 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; Jimmy Rollins played 2000–2016 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 Jimmy Rollins (2000–2016) — 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; Jimmy Rollins finished with 2,455 hits and 231 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 Jimmy Rollins's 231.
- Who had the higher OPS? Josh Donaldson, with .847 to Jimmy Rollins's .743.
- Who had the higher batting average? Jimmy Rollins, with .264 to Josh Donaldson's .261.
- Who had more hits? Jimmy Rollins, with 2,455 to Josh Donaldson's 1,310.
- Who drove in more runs? Jimmy Rollins, with 936 to Josh Donaldson's 816.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Josh Donaldson, with 18,424 career PIV to Jimmy Rollins's 406.
- Who won more championships? Jimmy Rollins, with 1 World Series title to Josh Donaldson's 0.
Josh Donaldson
Jimmy Rollins
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Josh Donaldson and Jimmy Rollins. 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 | Jimmy Rollins |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,384 | Leads: 2,275 |
| At-Bats | 5,022 | Leads: 9,294 |
| Runs | 816 | Leads: 1,421 |
| Hits | 1,310 | Leads: 2,455 |
| Doubles | 287 | Leads: 511 |
| Triples | 12 | Leads: 115 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 279 | 231 |
| RBI | 816 | Leads: 936 |
| Walks | 725 | Leads: 813 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,221 | 1,264 |
| Stolen Bases | 40 | Leads: 470 |
| Batting Avg | .261 | Leads: .264 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .358 | .324 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .489 | .418 |
| OPS | Leads: .847 | .743 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Josh Donaldson outpaces Jimmy Rollins 18,424 to 406 — driven by per-season impact — 1,228 PIV per season to 24 — rather than by longevity, since Josh Donaldson played 15 seasons to Jimmy Rollins's 17. 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
Jimmy Rollins — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Jimmy Rollins leads in hits, RBI, runs, and stolen bases, while Josh Donaldson owns home runs, OBP, and OPS. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Jimmy Rollins. Note that PIV actually grades Josh Donaldson ahead, which means Jimmy Rollins's edge is partly volume. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Josh Donaldson and Jimmy Rollins careers compare
Josh Donaldson and Jimmy Rollins were active at the same time between 2010 and 2016. The table compares 1,384 games of Josh Donaldson with 2,275 of Jimmy Rollins across 15 and 17 PIV seasons; totals favor the longer career by default. The green cells for Josh Donaldson are home runs (279 to 231), on-base percentage (.358 to .324), and slugging percentage (.489 to .418). At the plate, Josh Donaldson struck out more than walked (1,221 to 725), and Jimmy Rollins struck out more than walked (1,264 to 813). Josh Donaldson is the more power-leaning hitter, with 279 of 1,310 hits leaving the park. Jimmy Rollins was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played.
Josh Donaldson vs Jimmy Rollins: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Josh Donaldson or Jimmy Rollins?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Jimmy Rollins leads Josh Donaldson in 10 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Josh Donaldson or Jimmy Rollins hit more home runs?
- Josh Donaldson, with 279 to Jimmy Rollins's 231.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Josh Donaldson, with .847 to Jimmy Rollins's .743.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Jimmy Rollins, with .264 to Josh Donaldson's .261.
- Who had more hits?
- Jimmy Rollins, with 2,455 to Josh Donaldson's 1,310.