Ray’s Ramblings: Triples

I woke up today and thought – what random baseball topic can I cover in this piece? Then it came to me — triples.

WHAT IS A TRIPLE?

Just kidding.

THE HISTORY OF TRIPLES

 There are a lot of really old, i.e. in a coffin, guys on the all-time single season leader board.

Player (age that year)	Triples	Year	PA	Bats
Owen Wilson (28)	36	1912	643	L
Dave Orr (26)	31	1886	593	R
Heinie Reitz (27)	31	1894	502	L
Perry Werden (31)	29	1893	556	R
Harry Davis (23)	28	1897	475	R
Sam Thompson+ (34)	28	1894	502	L
George Davis+ (22)	27	1893	600	B
Jimmy Williams (22)	27	1899	693	R
Sam Crawford+ (34)	26	1914	674	L
Kiki Cuyler+ (26)	26	1925	701	R
Shoeless Joe Jackson (24)	26	1912	653	L
John Reilly (31)	26	1890	576	R
George Treadway (27)	26	1894	569	L
Roger Connor+ (36)	25	1894	534	B
Sam Crawford+ (23)	25	1903	602	L
Larry Doyle (24)	25	1911	623	L
Buck Freeman (27)	25	1899	634	L
Tom Long (25)	25	1915	556	R

The active single season leader is Dexter Fowler who hit 15 in 2011. There are 417 seasons in history of 16 or more.

All those old guys are on the career leaderboard as well.

Player (yrs, age)	Triples	PA	Bats
Sam Crawford+ (19)	309	10625	L
Ty Cobb+ (24)	295	13103	L
Honus Wagner+ (21)	252	11756	R
Jake Beckley+ (20)	244	10518	L
Roger Connor+ (18)	233	8847	B
Tris Speaker+ (22)	222	12020	L
Fred Clarke+ (21)	220	9860	L
Dan Brouthers+ (19)	206	7691	L
Joe Kelley+ (17)	194	8161	R
Paul Waner+ (20)	191	10767	L
Bid McPhee+ (18)	189	9429	R
Eddie Collins+ (25)	187	12087	L
Ed Delahanty+ (16)	186	8402	R
Sam Rice+ (20)	184	10260	L
Jesse Burkett+ (16)	182	9629	L
Ed Konetchy (15)	182	8675	R
Edd Roush+ (18)	182	8157	L
Buck Ewing+ (18)	178	5772	R
Rabbit Maranville+ (23)	177	11260	R
Stan Musial+ (22)	177	12721	L
Harry Stovey (14)	176	6848	R
Goose Goslin+ (18)	173	9830	L
Tommy Leach (19)	172	9068	R
Zack Wheat+ (19)	172	10007	L

The active career leader is Dexter Fowler with 82. There are 262 men with more in history.

2021 TRIPLES LEADERS

Name	Team	AB	PA	3B
Bryan Reynolds	PIT	559	646	8
David Peralta	ARI	487	538	8
Shohei Ohtani	LAA	537	639	8
Jake Cronenworth	SDP	567	643	7
Ozzie Albies	ATL	629	686	7
Akil Baddoo	DET	413	461	7
Kevin Kiermaier	TBR	348	390	7
Nicky Lopez	KCR	497	565	6
Luis Arraez	MIN	428	479	6
Amed Rosario	CLE	550	588	6
Garrett Hampson	COL	453	494	6
Willi Castro	DET	413	450	6
Hunter Dozier	KCR	487	543	6
Adam Frazier	– – –	577	639	5
Cedric Mullins II	BAL	602	675	5
Wander Franco	TBR	281	308	5
Corey Dickerson	– – –	336	365	5
Jose Ramirez	CLE	552	636	5
Steven Duggar	SFG	268	297	5
Eduardo Escobar	– – –	549	599	5
Trevor Story	COL	526	595	5
Bobby Dalbec	BOS	417	453	5

The top four guys in 2021, added together, don’t equal the single season record.

2021 TRIPLES NOTES

Bryan Reynolds had eight triples in 159 games. He had six triples his previous 189 games.

David Peralta hit eight triples last year… the third best mark of his career. He’s never stolen 10 bases in a season, but he has three years of eight triples as he hit 19 (9/10) his first two seasons, including a rookie effort of just 88 games played.

Shohei Ohtani hit eight triples. He had seven triples the first 266 games of his career.

Jake Cronenworth had three homers and three steals in 54 rookie games in 2020. He went 7/4 in year two in 152 games.

Ozzie Albies has hit five triples in all four seasons that he’s played 50 games. He hit eight in 2019, the last full season, before hitting seven in 2021.

Akil Baddoo hit seven triples for the Tigers. He hit 11 triples in 2018 at Single-A ball.

Kevin Kiermaier had seven triples, the fifth time he’s reached that mark. He hit 12 back in 2015.

Kyle Tucker led baseball with six triples in just 58 games in 2020 (no one else had five). The other 190 games he’s played in the Majors he has four (three  in 2021).

Adalberto Mondesi had 10 triples in a mere 102 games in 2019. He has four in 94 games since.