Josh Donaldson vs Ben Zobrist: Career Stats Comparison
Ben Zobrist has the better career line of the two, leading 9 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; Ben Zobrist played 2006–2019 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 Ben Zobrist (2006–2019) — 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; Ben Zobrist finished with 1,566 hits and 167 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 Ben Zobrist's 167.
- Who had the higher OPS? Josh Donaldson, with .847 to Ben Zobrist's .783.
- Who had the higher batting average? Ben Zobrist, with .266 to Josh Donaldson's .261.
- Who had more hits? Ben Zobrist, with 1,566 to Josh Donaldson's 1,310.
- Who drove in more runs? Josh Donaldson, with 816 to Ben Zobrist's 768.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Josh Donaldson, with 18,424 career PIV to Ben Zobrist's 10,712.
- Who won more championships? Ben Zobrist, with 2 World Series titles to Josh Donaldson's 0.
Josh Donaldson
Ben Zobrist
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Josh Donaldson and Ben Zobrist. 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 | Ben Zobrist |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,384 | Leads: 1,651 |
| At-Bats | 5,022 | Leads: 5,880 |
| Runs | 816 | Leads: 884 |
| Hits | 1,310 | Leads: 1,566 |
| Doubles | 287 | Leads: 349 |
| Triples | 12 | Leads: 44 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 279 | 167 |
| RBI | Leads: 816 | 768 |
| Walks | 725 | Leads: 832 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,221 | 994 |
| Stolen Bases | 40 | Leads: 116 |
| Batting Avg | .261 | Leads: .266 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .358 | .357 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .489 | .426 |
| OPS | Leads: .847 | .783 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Josh Donaldson outpaces Ben Zobrist 18,424 to 10,712 — driven by per-season impact — 1,228 PIV per season to 714 — rather than by longevity, since Josh Donaldson played 15 seasons to Ben Zobrist'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
Ben Zobrist — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Josh Donaldson leads in home runs, RBI, OBP, and OPS, while Ben Zobrist 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 Ben Zobrist careers compare
The careers of Josh Donaldson (2010–2023) and Ben Zobrist (2006–2019) overlapped from 2010 to 2019, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. The two careers are close in length, 1,384 games for Josh Donaldson and 1,651 for Ben Zobrist across 15 and 15 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Josh Donaldson struck out more than walked (1,221 to 725); Ben Zobrist struck out more than walked (994 to 832). Josh Donaldson is the more power-leaning hitter, with 279 of 1,310 hits leaving the park. Ben Zobrist was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played. Josh Donaldson's on-base percentage of .358 tops Ben Zobrist's .357.
Josh Donaldson vs Ben Zobrist: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Josh Donaldson or Ben Zobrist?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Ben Zobrist leads Josh Donaldson in 9 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Josh Donaldson or Ben Zobrist hit more home runs?
- Josh Donaldson, with 279 to Ben Zobrist's 167.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Josh Donaldson, with .847 to Ben Zobrist's .783.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Ben Zobrist, with .266 to Josh Donaldson's .261.
- Who had more hits?
- Ben Zobrist, with 1,566 to Josh Donaldson's 1,310.