Josh Donaldson vs Ron Santo: Career Stats Comparison
Ron Santo has the better career line of the two, leading 11 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; Ron Santo played 1960–1974 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 Ron Santo (1960–1974) — they broke in during the 2010s and the 1960s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Josh Donaldson finished with 1,310 hits and 279 home runs; Ron Santo finished with 2,254 hits and 342 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Ron Santo, with 342 to Josh Donaldson's 279.
- Who had the higher OPS? Josh Donaldson, with .847 to Ron Santo's .826.
- Who had the higher batting average? Ron Santo, with .277 to Josh Donaldson's .261.
- Who had more hits? Ron Santo, with 2,254 to Josh Donaldson's 1,310.
- Who drove in more runs? Ron Santo, with 1,331 to Josh Donaldson's 816.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Ron Santo, with 33,743 career PIV to Josh Donaldson's 18,424.
Josh Donaldson
Ron Santo
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Josh Donaldson and Ron Santo. 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 1960s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Josh Donaldson | Ron Santo |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,384 | Leads: 2,243 |
| At-Bats | 5,022 | Leads: 8,143 |
| Runs | 816 | Leads: 1,138 |
| Hits | 1,310 | Leads: 2,254 |
| Doubles | 287 | Leads: 365 |
| Triples | 12 | Leads: 67 |
| Home Runs | 279 | Leads: 342 |
| RBI | 816 | Leads: 1,331 |
| Walks | 725 | Leads: 1,108 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,221 | 1,343 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 40 | 35 |
| Batting Avg | .261 | Leads: .277 |
| On-Base % | .358 | Leads: .362 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .489 | .464 |
| OPS | Leads: .847 | .826 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Ron Santo outpaces Josh Donaldson 33,743 to 18,424 — driven by per-season impact — 2,250 PIV per season to 1,228 — rather than by longevity, since Ron Santo played 15 seasons to Josh Donaldson's 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
Ron Santo — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Ron Santo leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Josh Donaldson owns stolen bases and OPS. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Ron Santo. PIV agrees: Ron Santo 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 Ron Santo careers compare
No season is shared: Ron Santo played 1960–1974, Josh Donaldson 2010–2023. Ron Santo has the far longer record, 2,243 games against 1,384 across 15 and 15 PIV seasons, which inflates every career total. Josh Donaldson's edges on the table are stolen bases (40 to 35), slugging percentage (.489 to .464), and OPS (.847 to .826). At the plate, Josh Donaldson struck out more than walked (1,221 to 725), and Ron Santo struck out more than walked (1,343 to 1,108). Home runs make up a larger share of Josh Donaldson's hits: 279 of 1,310 for Josh Donaldson, 342 of 2,254 for Ron Santo. In on-base percentage, Ron Santo holds the edge, .362 to .358.
Josh Donaldson vs Ron Santo: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Josh Donaldson or Ron Santo?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Ron Santo leads Josh Donaldson in 11 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Josh Donaldson or Ron Santo hit more home runs?
- Ron Santo, with 342 to Josh Donaldson's 279.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Josh Donaldson, with .847 to Ron Santo's .826.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Ron Santo, with .277 to Josh Donaldson's .261.
- Who had more hits?
- Ron Santo, with 2,254 to Josh Donaldson's 1,310.