Josh Donaldson vs David Wright: Career Stats Comparison
David Wright 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; David Wright played 2004–2018 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 David Wright (2004–2018) — 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; David Wright finished with 1,777 hits and 242 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 David Wright's 242.
- Who had the higher OPS? David Wright, with .867 to Josh Donaldson's .847.
- Who had the higher batting average? David Wright, with .296 to Josh Donaldson's .261.
- Who had more hits? David Wright, with 1,777 to Josh Donaldson's 1,310.
- Who drove in more runs? David Wright, with 970 to Josh Donaldson's 816.
- Who has the higher career PIV? David Wright, with 22,524 career PIV to Josh Donaldson's 18,424.
Josh Donaldson
David Wright
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Josh Donaldson and David Wright. 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 | David Wright |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,384 | Leads: 1,585 |
| At-Bats | 5,022 | Leads: 5,998 |
| Runs | 816 | Leads: 949 |
| Hits | 1,310 | Leads: 1,777 |
| Doubles | 287 | Leads: 390 |
| Triples | 12 | Leads: 26 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 279 | 242 |
| RBI | 816 | Leads: 970 |
| Walks | 725 | Leads: 762 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,221 | 1,292 |
| Stolen Bases | 40 | Leads: 196 |
| Batting Avg | .261 | Leads: .296 |
| On-Base % | .358 | Leads: .376 |
| Slugging % | .489 | Leads: .491 |
| OPS | .847 | Leads: .867 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), David Wright leads Josh Donaldson 22,524 to 18,424 — driven by per-season impact — 1,609 PIV per season to 1,228 — rather than by longevity, since David Wright played 14 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
David Wright — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, David Wright leads in hits, RBI, runs, and stolen bases, while Josh Donaldson owns home runs. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to David Wright. PIV agrees: David Wright 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 David Wright careers compare
From 2010 through 2018, Josh Donaldson and David Wright were in the majors together. With 1,384 games against 1,585 across 15 and 14 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. Where Josh Donaldson comes out ahead, it is in home runs (279 to 242). At the plate, Josh Donaldson struck out more than walked (1,221 to 725), and David Wright struck out more than walked (1,292 to 762). Josh Donaldson is the more power-leaning hitter, with 279 of 1,310 hits leaving the park. David Wright was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played.
Josh Donaldson vs David Wright: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Josh Donaldson or David Wright?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, David Wright leads Josh Donaldson in 13 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Josh Donaldson or David Wright hit more home runs?
- Josh Donaldson, with 279 to David Wright's 242.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- David Wright, with .867 to Josh Donaldson's .847.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- David Wright, with .296 to Josh Donaldson's .261.
- Who had more hits?
- David Wright, with 1,777 to Josh Donaldson's 1,310.