Examining the Triple Crown In Baseball History: Will There Be Another?

In baseball, the greatest individual offensive achievement is the Triple Crown. The Triple Crown refers to an offensive player leading their league in batting average, home runs, and runs batted in. It could be argued as the rarest feat in baseball.   

The pitching version, which is based on wins, strikeouts, and ERA is a much more common feat. The most recent pitching Triple Crown season being Jake Peavy in 2007 for the San Diego Padres. He lead the National League with 19 wins, 2.54 ERA, and 240 strikeouts.

The first Triple Crown in the record book belongs to Paul Hines of the Providence Grays in 1878. Back then, the game was different—in fact, only 62 games were played in that season.

Hines' season looked like this: .358 average, four home runs, 50 RBIs, 42 runs, 92 hits, four triples, 13 doubles, a .363 on-base percentage, a .486 slugging percentage, and .849 OPS. These numbers were put up in just 257 at-bats.

Hines also lead the league in total bases (125), OPS (.849), and slugging percentage (.486). 

Tip O'Neill became the second player in baseball history to record a triple crown in 1887 for the St. Louis Browns. For the season, the Browns played 135 games and O'Neill was in the lineup for 124 of those games.

His numbers were: a .435 batting average, 14 home runs, 123 RBI, 225 hits, 167 runs, 19 triples, 52 doubles, 30 stolen bases, a .490 on-base percentage, .691 slugging percentage, 1.18 OPS, 357 total bases, and these numbers were put up in 517 at-bats.  

For the season, he lead the league in, of course, the average home runs and RBIs, but he also lead the league in hits, runs, triples, doubles, on-base percentage, slugging percentage, ops, and total bases.

Third on the list was Hugh Duffy. He played for the Boston Beaneater in 1894 and the season was 132 games long.

In that 1894 season, Duffy hit .440, 18 homers, 145 RBIs, 237 hits, 160 runs, 16 triples, 51 doubles, 48 stolen bases, a .502 on-base percentage, a .694 slugging percentage, a 1.196 OPS, and 374 total bases.

He lead the league in hits, doubles, slugging percentage, ops, and total bases.

Fourth on the list of triple crown winners was Nap Lajoie for the Philadelphia Athletics in 1901. In that season, 136 games were played and Lajoie played in 131 of the games. Lajoie is the first player on the list that is a hall of famer.

For the '01 season, he hit .426, 14 homers, 125 RBIs, 232 hits, 145 runs, 14 triples, 48 doubles, 27 stolen bases, had a .463 on-base percentage, a .643 slugging percentage, a 1.10 OPS, and 350 total bases.

On top of the main categories for the triple crown, Lajoie lead the league in hits, runs, doubles, on-base percentage, slugging percentage, OPS, and total bases.

The 1909 season saw the fifth triple crown winner in Detroit Tiger Ty Cobb. For the season, 156 games were played and Cobb appeared in every game that season.

For the '09 season, Cobb hit .377, 9 homers, 107 RBIs, 216 hits, 116 runs, 10 triples, 33 doubles, 76 stolen bases, a .431 on-base percentage, a .517 slugging percentage, .947 OPS, and 296 total bases.

Cobb lead the league in runs, hits, stolen bases, on-base percentage, slugging percentage, OPS, and total bases.

The sixth and seventh triple crown was won by Rogers Hornsby, done in the 1922 and 1925 seasons for the St. Louis Cardinals. Each year, the Cardinals played 154 games.

In 1922, Hornsby's numbers were .401, 42 homers, 152 RBIs, 250 hits, 141 runs, 14 triples, 46 doubles, 17 stolen bases, a .459 on-base percentage, .722 slugging percentage, 1.181 OPS, and 450 total bases.

That season, he lead the league in hits, runs, doubles, on-base percentage, slugging, OPS, and total bases.

In Hornsby's 1925 season, his numbers were .403, 39 homers, 143 RBIs, 203 hits, 10 triples, 41 doubles, a .489 on-base percentage, .756 slugging percentage, 1.245 OPS, and 381 total bases.

Besides the three main stats already known, Hornsby lead the league in on-base percentage, slugging percentage, OPS, and total bases.

Chuck Klein in 1933 became player number eight to record a triple crown for the Philadelphia Phillies. The season in '33 was 152 games.  

He had a .368 average, 28 homers, 120 RBIs, 226 hits, 152 runs, seven triples, 50 doubles, a .422 on-base percentage, .602 slugging percentage, a .1025 OPS, and 365 total bases.

The other leading categories for Klein were doubles, on-base percentage, slugging percentage, OPS, and total bases.

Jimmie Foxx in the 1933 season was the ninth player with a triple crown win for the Philadelphia Athletics. He played in 149 of the 152 games for the Athletics.

Numbers were .356, 48 homers, 163 RBIs, 204 hits, 125 runs, nine triples, 37 doubles, a .449 on-base percentage, .703 slugging percentage, 1.153 OPS, and 403 total bases.

Foxx lead the league in slugging percentage, OPS, and total bases.

1934 saw the first New York Yankee to gain a triple crown. Lou Gehrig became that player, and he played in 154 games that year.

The numbers for Gehrig were a .363 avereage, 49 homers, 165 RBIs, 210 hits, 128 runs, six triples, 40 doubles, a .465 on-base percentage, a .706 slugging percentage, 1.172 OPS, and 409 total bases.

Gehrig lead the league in on-base percentage, slugging percentage, OPS, and total bases, and his numbers may be the most impressive of any of the players on the triple crown list.

Joe Medwick earned a triple crown in 1937, becoming the 11th player to win a triple crown for the St. Louis Cardinals. He played in 156 games, which was the amount of the games for the season.

Medwick hit .374 average, 31 homers, 154 RBIs, 237 hits, 111 runs, 10 triples, 56 doubles, an on-base percentage of .414, a slugging percentage of .641, a .1056 OPS, and 406 total bases.

He lead the league in hits, doubles, runs, slugging percentage, OPS, and total bases.

Ted Williams, for the Boston Red Sox, won two triple crowns, which became number 12 and 13 for baseball. Williams won his triple crowns  in 1942 and 1947.

Williams's 1942 season was this: .356, 36 homers, 137 RBIs, 186 hits, 141 runs, five triples, 34 doubles, 145 walks, a .499 on-base percentage, a .648 slugging percentage, a 1.147 OPS, and 338 total bases.

Williams lead the league in runs, walks, on-base percentage, slugging percentage, OPS, and total bases.

His 1947 season had him .343, 32 homers, 114 RBIs, 181 hits, 125 runs, 40 doubles, nine triples, 162 walks, a .499 on-base percentage, a .634 slugging percentage, 1.133 OPS, and 335 total bases.

Again Williams lead the league in runs, walks, on-base percentage, slugging percentage, OPS, and total bases.

Mickey Mantle of the Yankees had the 14th season in baseball history with a triple crown. He did hit the most home runs by a player who has won a triple crown, and this season came in 1956.

Mantle hit .353, 52 homers, 130 RBIs, 188 hits, 132 runs, five triples, 22 doubles, a .464 on-base percentage, .705 slugging percentage, 1.169 OPS, and 376 total bases.

The other categories that Mantle lead were runs, slugging percentage, OPS, and total bases.

1966 saw the 15th triple crown accomplished, and it was done by Frank Robinson, who played for the Baltimore Orioles. He played in 155 games that year.

His numbers were .316 average, 49 homers, 122 RBIs, 182 hits, 122 runs, two triples, 34 doubles, a .410 on-base percentage, a .637 slugging percentage, a .1047 OPS, and 367 total bases.

He lead the league in runs, on base-percentage, slugging percentage, OPS, and total bases.

Finally, the 16th triple crown in major league baseball history in Carl Yastrzemski of the Boston Red Sox, and that happened in 1967. He played in 161 games that year as well.

For the season, he hit .326, 44 homers, 121 RBIs, 189 hits, 112 runs, four triples, 31 doubles, a .418 on-base percentage, a .622 slugging percentage, a 1.040 OPS, and 360 total bases.

As shown, there hasn't been a Triple Crown winner in 42 years, and it doesn't look like it will happen soon. There have been some great power-hitters over the years, but with the modernization of baseball, it's hard to see that a Triple Crown will be won anytime soon.

Right now, Albert Pujols is the best bet to win one, but with the 162 game schedule, injuries and slumps can happen. Pitchers will also avoid certain hitters in situations, rather than just go after them.

If you have to face Pujols in a game-changing situation, would you pitch to him or go after someone else? Some said walk him and take your chances with whoever is protecting Pujols. A few said to go after Pujols, and a majority felt like it depended on the situation that was involved. 

What I believe hampers hitters in the modern world of baseball is the technology and the scouting reports. Pitchers are well scouted and documented on what the pitcher likes to throw in a given situation.  Because of that, a pitcher could change up their routine and keep hitters off balance throughout the game.

Another reason why it will be hard to keep the batting average up is the specialization of relievers. There are certain types of relievers for any kind of situation. There is a long reliever, who is designed to eat up innings and keep their team in the ball game. There's a middle reliever, who is used during the fifth, sixth, and seventh innings.

The eighth inning has the setup man, who is used during that inning to keep the lead safe for the ninth inning so the closer can step in and get the final outs of the ball game.

There are also left-handed pitchers whose sole purpose is to get left-handed batters out, and once they do their jobs, a manager will likely use another reliever.

Will baseball see another Triple Crown winner?

Not anytime soon.