Josh Donaldson vs Jim Thome: Career Stats Comparison
Jim Thome has the better career line of the two, leading 13 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; Jim Thome played 1991–2012 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 Jim Thome (1991–2012) — 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; Jim Thome finished with 2,328 hits and 612 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Jim Thome, with 612 to Josh Donaldson's 279.
- Who had the higher OPS? Jim Thome, with .956 to Josh Donaldson's .847.
- Who had the higher batting average? Jim Thome, with .276 to Josh Donaldson's .261.
- Who had more hits? Jim Thome, with 2,328 to Josh Donaldson's 1,310.
- Who drove in more runs? Jim Thome, with 1,699 to Josh Donaldson's 816.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Jim Thome, with 51,664 career PIV to Josh Donaldson's 18,424.
Josh Donaldson
Jim Thome
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Josh Donaldson and Jim Thome. 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 | Jim Thome |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,384 | Leads: 2,543 |
| At-Bats | 5,022 | Leads: 8,422 |
| Runs | 816 | Leads: 1,583 |
| Hits | 1,310 | Leads: 2,328 |
| Doubles | 287 | Leads: 451 |
| Triples | 12 | Leads: 26 |
| Home Runs | 279 | Leads: 612 |
| RBI | 816 | Leads: 1,699 |
| Walks | 725 | Leads: 1,747 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,221 | 2,548 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 40 | 19 |
| Batting Avg | .261 | Leads: .276 |
| On-Base % | .358 | Leads: .402 |
| Slugging % | .489 | Leads: .554 |
| OPS | .847 | Leads: .956 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Jim Thome outpaces Josh Donaldson 51,664 to 18,424 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,067 PIV per season to 1,228, across 25 seasons to 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
Jim Thome — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Jim Thome leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Josh Donaldson owns stolen bases. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Jim Thome. PIV agrees: Jim Thome 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 Jim Thome careers compare
The careers of Josh Donaldson (2010–2023) and Jim Thome (1991–2012) overlapped from 2010 to 2012, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. Playing time explains much of the gap in the counting rows: Josh Donaldson appeared in 1,384 games to Jim Thome's 2,543. Where Josh Donaldson comes out ahead, it is in stolen bases (40 to 19). Josh Donaldson struck out more than walked (1,221 to 725); Jim Thome struck out more than walked (2,548 to 1,747). Jim Thome's slugging percentage of .554 tops Josh Donaldson's .489.
Josh Donaldson vs Jim Thome: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Josh Donaldson or Jim Thome?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Jim Thome leads Josh Donaldson in 13 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Josh Donaldson or Jim Thome hit more home runs?
- Jim Thome, with 612 to Josh Donaldson's 279.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Jim Thome, with .956 to Josh Donaldson's .847.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Jim Thome, with .276 to Josh Donaldson's .261.
- Who had more hits?
- Jim Thome, with 2,328 to Josh Donaldson's 1,310.