List of Major League Baseball career triples leaders

In baseball, a triple is a hit in which the batter advances to third base in one play, with neither the benefit of a fielding error nor another runner being put out on a fielder's choice.[1] Triples were more common in baseball's dead-ball era, when teams relied more on stolen bases and hit and run plays than on the home run.[2] More distant fences in old ballparks, such as Pittsburgh's Forbes Field and Detroit's Tiger Stadium, also produced fewer home runs and more triples on well-hit balls.[3] As a result, most of the players on this list have been retired for decades.[4] Only two players in the top 50 all-time career triples leaders played after WWII (Stan Musial and Roberto Clemente), and there are no players in the top 50 who played after 1972.

A baseball player slides into third base as an opposing player attempts to tag him
Ty Cobb, second all-time in career triples, slides safely into third base.

In 2006, the Hardball Times lamented the decline of the 100-triple player, although three have joined the list since that time.[5] Fangraphs, a statistical website, likewise noted the lack of modern 100-triple hitters in 2013.[6] Of the 162 Major League Baseball players who have hit 100 or more triples, 69 are members of Baseball's Hall of Fame.[7]

Hall of Famer Sam Crawford of the Detroit Tigers holds the Major League Baseball triples record, with 309.[8][9] Second to him is his Tigers teammate,[10] Ty Cobb, with 297, the American League record.[11] Honus Wagner is third with 252, the National League record.[12] Jake Beckley (243), Roger Connor (233), Tris Speaker (222), Fred Clarke (220), and Dan Brouthers (205) are the only other players to have hit at least 200 triples. Only triples hit during the regular season are included in the totals (George Brett, Rafael Furcal, and Derek Jeter are tied for the record in post-season triples, with five).[13]

Jim O'Rourke was the first player to reach the 100-triple mark, doing so with the New York Giants in 1886.[14] With Kenny Lofton's retirement after the 2007 season, 2008 was the first season since 1885 in which no active player had more than 100 triples.[14] Carl Crawford hit his 100th triple in 2010, becoming the only active player on the list at that time. José Reyes became the latest player to reach the 100 triple plateau, doing so on April 8, 2012.

When Reyes retired after the 2018 season, Major League Baseball once again had no active player with 100 career triples. The active career triples leader is Charlie Blackmon, who has 63 career triples as of 2023. He is tied for 486th on the all-time list.[9]


Key

TriplesTotal career triples
First MLB
season
First year in which the player was active
Last MLB
season
Last year in which the player was active
*Denotes elected to National Baseball Hall of Fame.
BoldDenotes active player.[a]

Leaders

Sam Crawford retired in 1917 with 309 triples, which is still the record.
Ty Cobb (297 triples) and Shoeless Joe Jackson (168 triples)
Honus Wagner holds the National League record for triples with 252.
Jake Beckley hit 243 triples between 1888 and 1907.
Roger Connor hit 233 triples between 1880 and 1897.
Tris Speaker hit 222 triples in his 21-year career.
Fred Clarke hit 220 triples between 1894 and 1915.
John "Chief" Wilson hit a record 36 triples in the 1912 season, retiring with 114 total.
Tim Raines is the most recent player with 100 or more career triples to have been elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame (elected in 2017).
Charlie Blackmon is the active leader in triples with 63.
  • Stats updated as of the end of the 2023 season.
Players with 100 or more triples
RankPlayerTriplesFirst MLB
season[15]
Last MLB
season[15]
Ref
1Sam Crawford *309[b]18991917[16]
2Ty Cobb *29719051928[17]
3Honus Wagner *25218971917[18]
4Jake Beckley *24318881907[19]
5Roger Connor *23318801897[20]
6Tris Speaker *22219071928[21]
7Fred Clarke *22018941915[22]
8Dan Brouthers *20518791904[23]
9Joe Kelley *19418911908[24]
10Paul Waner *19119261945[25]
11Bid McPhee *18818821899[26]
12Eddie Collins *18719061930[27]
13Ed Delahanty *18518881903[28]
14Sam Rice *18418901915[29]
15Jesse Burkett *18218901905[30]
15Ed Konetchy18219071921[31]
15Edd Roush *18219131931[32]
18Buck Ewing *17818801897[33]
19Rabbit Maranville *17719121935[34]
19Stan Musial *17719411963[35]
21Harry Stovey17418801893[36]
22Goose Goslin *17319211938[37]
23Tommy Leach17218981918[38]
23Zack Wheat *17219091927[39]
25Rogers Hornsby *16919151937[40]
26Joe Jackson16819081920[41]
27Roberto Clemente *16619551972[42]
27Sherry Magee16619041919[43]
29Jake Daubert16519101924[44]
30Elmer Flick *16418981910[45]
30George Sisler *16419151930[46]
30Pie Traynor *16419201937[47]
33Bill Dahlen16318911911[48]
33George Davis *16318901909[49]
33Lou Gehrig *16319231939[50]
33Nap Lajoie *16318961916[51]
37Mike Tiernan16218871899[52]
38George Van Haltren16118871903[53]
39Harry Hooper *16019091925[54]
39Heinie Manush *16019231939[55]
39Sam Thompson *16018851906[56]
42Max Carey *15919101929[57]
42Joe Judge15919151934[58]
44Ed McKean15818871899[59]
45Kiki Cuyler *15719211938[60]
45Jimmy Ryan15718851903[61]
47Tommy Corcoran15518901907[62]
48Earle Combs *15419241935[63]
49Jim Bottomley *15119221937[64]
49Harry Heilmann *15119141932[65]
49Jim O'Rourke *15118721904[66]
52Kip Selbach14918941906[67]
52Al Simmons *14919241944[68]
54Wally Pipp14819131928[69]
54Enos Slaughter *14819381959[70]
56Bobby Veach14719121925[71]
56Willie Wilson14719761994[72]
58Charlie Gehringer *14619241942[73]
59Harry Davis14518951917[74]
59Willie Keeler *14518921910[75]
61Bobby Wallace *14318941918[76]
62Cap Anson *14218711897[77]
63Lou Brock *14119611979[78]
64Willie Mays *14019511973[79]
65John Reilly13918801891[80]
65Jimmy Williams139[c]18991909[82]
67Tom Brown13818821898[83]
67Willie Davis13819601979[84]
67Frankie Frisch *13819191937[85]
70George Brett *13719731993[86]
71Babe Ruth *13619141935[87]
71Jimmy Sheckard13618971913[88]
71Elmer Smith13618861901[89]
74Lave Cross13518871907[90]
74Pete Rose13519631986[91]
76Shano Collins13319101925[92]
77George Wood13218801892[93]
78Brett Butler13119811997[94]
78Joe DiMaggio *13119361951[95]
78Buck Freeman13118911907[96]
78José Reyes13120032018[97]
82Buddy Myer13019251941[98]
83Oyster Burns12918841895[99]
83Larry Gardner12919081924[100]
85Earl Averill *12819291941[101]
85Arky Vaughan *12819321948[102]
87Vada Pinson12719581975[103]
88Hardy Richardson12618791892[104]
88Robin Yount *12619741993[105]
90Jimmie Foxx *12519251945[106]
91John Anderson12418941908[107]
91Hal Chase12419051919[108]
91Steve Finley12419892007[109]
91Frank Schulte12419041918[110]
95Carl Crawford12320022016[111]
95Larry Doyle12319071920[112]
95Duke Farrell12318881905[113]
98Dummy Hoy12118881902[114]
99Mickey Vernon12019391960[115]
100Hugh Duffy *11918881906[116]
100Fred Pfeffer11918821897[117]
102Joe Cronin *11819261945[118]
102Chick Stahl11818971906[119]
102Lloyd Waner *11819271945[120]
105Lance Johnson11719872000[121]
105Del Pratt11719121924[122]
105Curt Walker11719191930[123]
108Jimmy Collins *11618951908[124]
108Kenny Lofton11619912007[125]
110Bill Kuehne11518831892[126]
110Tony Lazzeri *11519261939[127]
110Jimmy Rollins11520002016[128]
113Henry Larkin11418841893[129]
113Paul Molitor *11419781998[130]
113Gus Suhr11419301940[131]
113Joe Tinker *11419021916[132]
113John Wilson11419081916[133]
118Jack Fournier11319121927[134]
118Joe Medwick *11319321948[135]
118Tim Raines *11319792002[136]
121Rod Carew *11219671985[137]
121Nellie Fox *11219471965[138]
121Bill Terry *11219231936[139]
121Sam Wise11218811893[140]
125Joe Kuhel11119301947[141]
126Babe Herman11019261945[142]
126Wally Moses11019351951[143]
128Richie Ashburn *10919481962[144]
128Lu Blue10919211933[145]
128Doc Cramer10919291948[146]
128Johnny Damon10919952012[147]
128Jimmy Wolf10918821892[148]
133George Burns10819111925[149]
133Mike Griffin10818871898[150]
133Charlie Grimm10819161936[151]
133Sam Mertes10818961906[152]
133Dots Miller10819091921[153]
133Dave Orr10818831890[154]
139Ben Chapman10719301946[155]
139Carl Reynolds10719271939[156]
141Bill Joyce10618901898[157]
141Les Mann10619131928[158]
141Garry Templeton10619761991[159]
144Clyde Milan10519071922[160]
144John Stone10519281938[161]
143Heinie Zimmerman10519071919[162]
147Mike Mitchell10419071914[163]
148Home Run Baker *10319081922[164]
148Tom Daly10318871903[165]
150Luke Appling *10219301950[166]
150Bill Bruton10219531964[167]
150Duff Cooley10218931905[168]
150Jeff Heath10219361949[169]
150Charley Jones10218751888[170]
150King Kelly *10218781893[171]
150Danny Murphy10218761900[172]
150Juan Samuel10219831998[173]
158Stuffy McInnis10119091927[174]
158Sam West10119271942[175]
160Cupid Childs10018881901[176]
160Dan McGann10018861908[177]
160Hy Myers10019091925[178]


See also

Notes

References

External links