Josh Donaldson vs Juan Soto: Career Stats Comparison
Juan Soto has the better career line of the two, leading 8 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; Juan Soto has played 2018–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 Juan Soto (2018–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; Juan Soto has 1,196 hits and 271 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? Josh Donaldson, with 279 to Juan Soto's 271.
- Who had the higher OPS? Juan Soto, with .945 to Josh Donaldson's .847.
- Who had the higher batting average? Juan Soto, with .281 to Josh Donaldson's .261.
- Who had more hits? Josh Donaldson, with 1,310 to Juan Soto's 1,196.
- Who drove in more runs? Josh Donaldson, with 816 to Juan Soto's 765.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Juan Soto, with 27,584 career PIV to Josh Donaldson's 18,424.
- Who won more championships? Juan Soto, with 1 World Series title to Josh Donaldson's 0.
Josh Donaldson
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Josh Donaldson and Juan Soto. 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.
Juan Soto is still active — his totals below are current through October 12, 2026.
| Statistic | Josh Donaldson | Juan Soto |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 1,384 | 1,207 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 5,022 | 4,257 |
| Runs | 816 | Leads: 838 |
| Hits | Leads: 1,310 | 1,196 |
| Doubles | Leads: 287 | 210 |
| Triples | 12 | Leads: 18 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 279 | 271 |
| RBI | Leads: 816 | 765 |
| Walks | 725 | Leads: 974 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,221 | 898 |
| Stolen Bases | 40 | Leads: 104 |
| Batting Avg | .261 | Leads: .281 |
| On-Base % | .358 | Leads: .415 |
| Slugging % | .489 | Leads: .530 |
| OPS | .847 | Leads: .945 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Juan Soto outpaces Josh Donaldson 27,584 to 18,424 — driven by per-season impact — 3,065 PIV per season to 1,228 — rather than by longevity, since Juan Soto played 9 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
Juan Soto — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Juan Soto leads in runs, stolen bases, batting average, and OBP, while Josh Donaldson owns hits, home runs, and RBI. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Juan Soto. PIV agrees: Juan Soto 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 Juan Soto careers compare
The careers of Josh Donaldson (2010–2023) and Juan Soto (2018–present) overlapped from 2018 to 2023, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. With 1,384 games against 1,207 across 15 and 9 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. Plate discipline differs: Josh Donaldson struck out more than walked (1,221 to 725), but Juan Soto walked more often than struck out (974 walks, 898 strikeouts). On the bases, Juan Soto stole more often per game played (40 steals in 1,384 games for Josh Donaldson, 104 in 1,207 for Juan Soto). In on-base percentage, Juan Soto holds the edge, .415 to .358. Because Juan Soto is still playing, the totals above will keep moving through the season.
Josh Donaldson vs Juan Soto: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Josh Donaldson or Juan Soto?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Juan Soto leads Josh Donaldson in 8 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Josh Donaldson or Juan Soto hit more home runs?
- Josh Donaldson, with 279 to Juan Soto's 271.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Juan Soto, with .945 to Josh Donaldson's .847.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Juan Soto, with .281 to Josh Donaldson's .261.
- Who had more hits?
- Josh Donaldson, with 1,310 to Juan Soto's 1,196.