Josh Donaldson vs Christian Yelich: Career Stats Comparison
Christian Yelich has the better career line of the two, leading 11 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; Christian Yelich has played 2013–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 Christian Yelich (2013–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; Christian Yelich has 1,845 hits and 245 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 Christian Yelich's 245.
- Who had the higher OPS? Josh Donaldson, with .847 to Christian Yelich's .829.
- Who had the higher batting average? Christian Yelich, with .282 to Josh Donaldson's .261.
- Who had more hits? Christian Yelich, with 1,845 to Josh Donaldson's 1,310.
- Who drove in more runs? Christian Yelich, with 910 to Josh Donaldson's 816.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Christian Yelich, with 20,940 career PIV to Josh Donaldson's 18,424.
Josh Donaldson
Christian Yelich
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Josh Donaldson and Christian Yelich. 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.
Christian Yelich is still active — his totals below are current through October 12, 2026.
| Statistic | Josh Donaldson | Christian Yelich |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,384 | Leads: 1,734 |
| At-Bats | 5,022 | Leads: 6,550 |
| Runs | 816 | Leads: 1,102 |
| Hits | 1,310 | Leads: 1,845 |
| Doubles | 287 | Leads: 350 |
| Triples | 12 | Leads: 37 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 279 | 245 |
| RBI | 816 | Leads: 910 |
| Walks | 725 | Leads: 883 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,221 | 1,683 |
| Stolen Bases | 40 | Leads: 232 |
| Batting Avg | .261 | Leads: .282 |
| On-Base % | .358 | Leads: .370 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .489 | .459 |
| OPS | Leads: .847 | .829 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Christian Yelich leads Josh Donaldson 20,940 to 18,424 — driven by per-season impact — 1,611 PIV per season to 1,228 — rather than by longevity, since Christian Yelich played 13 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
Christian Yelich — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Christian Yelich 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 Christian Yelich. PIV agrees: Christian Yelich 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 Christian Yelich careers compare
The careers of Josh Donaldson (2010–2023) and Christian Yelich (2013–present) overlapped from 2013 to 2023, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. The two careers are close in length, 1,384 games for Josh Donaldson and 1,734 for Christian Yelich across 15 and 13 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Josh Donaldson's edges on the table are home runs (279 to 245), slugging percentage (.489 to .459), and OPS (.847 to .829). Josh Donaldson struck out more than walked (1,221 to 725); Christian Yelich struck out more than walked (1,683 to 883). Christian Yelich's numbers are live and update with each game, so the comparison is a snapshot.
Josh Donaldson vs Christian Yelich: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Josh Donaldson or Christian Yelich?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Christian Yelich leads Josh Donaldson in 11 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Josh Donaldson or Christian Yelich hit more home runs?
- Josh Donaldson, with 279 to Christian Yelich's 245.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Josh Donaldson, with .847 to Christian Yelich's .829.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Christian Yelich, with .282 to Josh Donaldson's .261.
- Who had more hits?
- Christian Yelich, with 1,845 to Josh Donaldson's 1,310.