Josh Donaldson vs Chase Utley: Career Stats Comparison
Chase Utley 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; Chase Utley played 2003–2018 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 Chase Utley (2003–2018) — 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; Chase Utley finished with 1,885 hits and 259 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 Chase Utley's 259.
- Who had the higher OPS? Josh Donaldson, with .847 to Chase Utley's .823.
- Who had the higher batting average? Chase Utley, with .275 to Josh Donaldson's .261.
- Who had more hits? Chase Utley, with 1,885 to Josh Donaldson's 1,310.
- Who drove in more runs? Chase Utley, with 1,025 to Josh Donaldson's 816.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Josh Donaldson, with 18,424 career PIV to Chase Utley's 17,446.
- Who won more championships? Chase Utley, with 1 World Series title to Josh Donaldson's 0.
Josh Donaldson
Chase Utley
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Josh Donaldson and Chase Utley. 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 | Chase Utley |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,384 | Leads: 1,937 |
| At-Bats | 5,022 | Leads: 6,857 |
| Runs | 816 | Leads: 1,103 |
| Hits | 1,310 | Leads: 1,885 |
| Doubles | 287 | Leads: 411 |
| Triples | 12 | Leads: 58 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 279 | 259 |
| RBI | 816 | Leads: 1,025 |
| Walks | Leads: 725 | 724 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,221 | 1,193 |
| Stolen Bases | 40 | Leads: 154 |
| Batting Avg | .261 | Leads: .275 |
| On-Base % | .358 | Leads: .358 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .489 | .465 |
| OPS | Leads: .847 | .823 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Josh Donaldson edges Chase Utley 18,424 to 17,446 — driven by per-season impact — 1,228 PIV per season to 1,026 — rather than by longevity, since Josh Donaldson played 15 seasons to Chase Utley'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
Chase Utley — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Chase Utley leads in hits, RBI, runs, and stolen bases, while Josh Donaldson owns home runs and OPS. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Chase Utley. Note that PIV actually grades Josh Donaldson ahead, which means Chase Utley's edge is partly volume. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Josh Donaldson and Chase Utley careers compare
The careers of Josh Donaldson (2010–2023) and Chase Utley (2003–2018) overlapped from 2010 to 2018, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. The two careers are close in length, 1,384 games for Josh Donaldson and 1,937 for Chase Utley across 15 and 17 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Where Josh Donaldson comes out ahead, it is in home runs (279 to 259), walks (725 to 724), and slugging percentage (.489 to .465). At the plate, Josh Donaldson struck out more than walked (1,221 to 725), and Chase Utley struck out more than walked (1,193 to 724).
Josh Donaldson vs Chase Utley: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Josh Donaldson or Chase Utley?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Chase Utley leads Josh Donaldson in 10 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Josh Donaldson or Chase Utley hit more home runs?
- Josh Donaldson, with 279 to Chase Utley's 259.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Josh Donaldson, with .847 to Chase Utley's .823.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Chase Utley, with .275 to Josh Donaldson's .261.
- Who had more hits?
- Chase Utley, with 1,885 to Josh Donaldson's 1,310.