Josh Donaldson vs Ichiro Suzuki: Career Stats Comparison
Ichiro Suzuki 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; Ichiro Suzuki played 2001–2019 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 Ichiro Suzuki (2001–2019) — 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; Ichiro Suzuki finished with 3,089 hits and 117 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 Ichiro Suzuki's 117.
- Who had the higher OPS? Josh Donaldson, with .847 to Ichiro Suzuki's .757.
- Who had the higher batting average? Ichiro Suzuki, with .311 to Josh Donaldson's .261.
- Who had more hits? Ichiro Suzuki, with 3,089 to Josh Donaldson's 1,310.
- Who drove in more runs? Josh Donaldson, with 816 to Ichiro Suzuki's 780.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Josh Donaldson, with 18,424 career PIV to Ichiro Suzuki's 6,671.
Josh Donaldson
Ichiro Suzuki
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Josh Donaldson and Ichiro Suzuki. 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 | Ichiro Suzuki |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,384 | Leads: 2,653 |
| At-Bats | 5,022 | Leads: 9,934 |
| Runs | 816 | Leads: 1,420 |
| Hits | 1,310 | Leads: 3,089 |
| Doubles | 287 | Leads: 362 |
| Triples | 12 | Leads: 96 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 279 | 117 |
| RBI | Leads: 816 | 780 |
| Walks | Leads: 725 | 647 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,221 | 1,080 |
| Stolen Bases | 40 | Leads: 509 |
| Batting Avg | .261 | Leads: .311 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .358 | .355 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .489 | .402 |
| OPS | Leads: .847 | .757 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Josh Donaldson outpaces Ichiro Suzuki 18,424 to 6,671 — driven by per-season impact — 1,228 PIV per season to 334 — rather than by longevity, since Josh Donaldson played 15 seasons to Ichiro Suzuki's 20. 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
Ichiro Suzuki — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Josh Donaldson leads in home runs, RBI, OBP, and OPS, while Ichiro Suzuki owns hits, runs, and stolen bases. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Josh Donaldson. PIV agrees: Josh Donaldson 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 Ichiro Suzuki careers compare
The careers of Josh Donaldson (2010–2023) and Ichiro Suzuki (2001–2019) overlapped from 2010 to 2019, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. The table compares 1,384 games of Josh Donaldson with 2,653 of Ichiro Suzuki across 15 and 20 PIV seasons; totals favor the longer career by default. At the plate, Josh Donaldson struck out more than walked (1,221 to 725), and Ichiro Suzuki struck out more than walked (1,080 to 647). Josh Donaldson is the more power-leaning hitter, with 279 of 1,310 hits leaving the park. Ichiro Suzuki was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played. Josh Donaldson's on-base percentage of .358 tops Ichiro Suzuki's .355.
Josh Donaldson vs Ichiro Suzuki: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Josh Donaldson or Ichiro Suzuki?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Ichiro Suzuki leads Josh Donaldson in 8 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Josh Donaldson or Ichiro Suzuki hit more home runs?
- Josh Donaldson, with 279 to Ichiro Suzuki's 117.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Josh Donaldson, with .847 to Ichiro Suzuki's .757.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Ichiro Suzuki, with .311 to Josh Donaldson's .261.
- Who had more hits?
- Ichiro Suzuki, with 3,089 to Josh Donaldson's 1,310.