What is a Triple in Baseball? Definition and Examples
A triple is a base hit on which the batter reaches third base safely without an error or fielder's choice, worth three total bases and the rarest standard hit in baseball.
What is a Triple?
A triple is a base hit that allows the batter to reach third base safely, without the aid of an error or a fielder's choice. Scored as "3B" in the box score, it is the rarest of the four hit types — MLB hitters record roughly 20 times more singles than triples — and one of the most exciting plays in the sport, combining a well-placed hit, outfield geometry, and elite baserunning speed in a single play.
How a Triple is Scored and Counted
The scoring rule mirrors the double: the batter must reach third entirely on the hit. If he would have been out with clean fielding, the scorer rules a double plus an error. If he stops at second and advances on a throw, it's a double plus advancement.
Triples count heavily in rate stats:
- Slugging percentage: 3 total bases each, the most of any non-homer hit.
- wOBA: linear weight of roughly 1.55–1.60 — runners on third score on almost any subsequent out, so a triple is worth nearly as much as some home runs in run expectancy.
- The cycle: a triple is almost always the hardest leg of hitting for the cycle; the vast majority of cycles stall waiting on the triple.
Triples are also a distinct skill signal. Because reaching third on a ball in play requires covering roughly 270 feet in about 11 seconds, triples correlate strongly with sprint speed — the league leaders are almost always players who run 29+ ft/sec.
Worked Example: Elly De La Cruz and the Triples Leaders
Modern triples leaders are the game's fastest players. Elly De La Cruz, with elite 30 ft/sec sprint speed, led or co-led the National League in triples early in his career, turning gappers into stand-up triples. Historically, the benchmark is Sam Crawford's all-time record of 309 career triples, and Chief Wilson's untouchable single-season mark of 36 triples in 1912 — a record from the dead-ball era of cavernous outfields that will never be approached. In the modern game, 10–12 triples leads a league most seasons; in 2007 Curtis Granderson hit 23, one of the highest totals since World War II.
Why Triples Matter
Triples are a scouting and valuation signal more than a counting stat. A minor leaguer with double-digit triples is demonstrating two tools at once — gap power and plus speed — and both project well. In fantasy baseball, triples are a bonus category in total-bases leagues and a differentiator in deep rotisserie formats where speed is scarce. In run-expectancy terms, a leadoff triple is worth about 1.1 expected runs because the runner scores on groundouts, sacrifice flies, wild pitches, and passed balls.
Limitations and Common Misconceptions
Triples are the noisiest hit type. Because they depend on outfield configuration, ballpark dimensions, and defensive alignment as much as the hit itself, triples totals fluctuate wildly year to year — a 12-triple season followed by 4 triples says little about a skill change. Triples are also declining structurally: smaller outfields, better defensive positioning, and more conservative baserunning have pushed league-wide triples rates down for decades. Don't confuse a triple with a "three-base error" or with advancing on the throw — only the clean hit counts. And note that an inside-the-park home run is scored as a home run, not a triple plus advancement.
Related Terms
In Legends Deck: Triples in simulation emerge from the interaction of a card's speed rating and gap-power rating. Cards built on high sprint-speed Statcast seasons — think De La Cruz or prime Granderson — turn deep gappers into three-baggers that slower cards settle for as doubles.