What is a Triple Play? Definition and Examples
A triple play is a single defensive sequence in which the fielding team records three outs on one batted ball, the rarest routine play in baseball.
What is a Triple Play in Baseball?
A triple play occurs when the defense records all three outs of an inning on a single continuous play, beginning with one batted ball. It is the most efficient outcome a defense can produce — three outs, no pitches in between — and one of the rarest events in the sport. There are usually only a handful per MLB season across all 30 teams combined. A triple play requires baserunners already on base, a ball put in play, and a defense quick and coordinated enough to retire three runners before the action stops.
How a Triple Play Happens
The classic setup is runners on first and second (or bases loaded) with fewer than two outs. A sharp ground ball or line drive lets the defense chain three outs together. Common sequences:
- 5-4-3 — third baseman steps on third (out one), throws to second (out two), relay to first (out three).
- Line-drive triple play — a fielder catches a liner (out one), then doubles off two runners who broke from their bases (outs two and three).
- Unassisted triple play — a single fielder records all three outs himself, the rarest version of all.
Unlike a double play, there is no statistical "triple play" credited to a pitcher's line beyond the three outs; it is scored by the putouts and assists of the fielders involved.
Worked Example
The unassisted triple play is the showcase version, and only 15 have happened in MLB history. On August 23, 2009, Phillies second baseman Eric Bruntlett ended a game against the Mets with one: with runners on first and second moving on the pitch, Bruntlett snagged a line drive (out one), stepped on second to retire the runner who had left (out two), and tagged the runner arriving from first (out three) — a game-ending unassisted triple play, only the second in MLB history to end a game. The entire sequence took under two seconds and required no throws.
A more common conventional triple play is the 5-4-3 around the horn: bases loaded, sharp grounder to third, force at third, throw to second, relay to first — three outs on one swing.
Why It Matters
A triple play instantly erases a scoring threat and ends an inning, producing one of the largest single-play swings in win probability. While too rare to plan around, it rewards fundamentals: infielders holding their positioning, knowing the force situation, and executing clean relays. For fans and collectors, triple plays — especially unassisted ones — are signature highlight-reel events that define careers.
Limitations and Common Misconceptions
A triple play is not the same as three outs recorded across separate plays; it must stem from one continuous live-ball sequence. It is also not credited as a pitching achievement the way a strikeout is — it is a fielding feat. Fans sometimes assume triple plays require bases loaded, but runners on first and second are enough. And despite the drama, triple plays are statistical noise, far too infrequent to use in evaluating a defense's true quality, which is better measured by defensive runs saved and outs above average.
Related terms: double play, infield fly rule, fielder's choice, error.
In Legends Deck
Legends Deck simulates batted-ball outcomes from real Statcast inputs, so a sharply hit ground ball with runners on can trigger rare multi-out sequences — including the occasional triple play — when fielder ratings and baserunner positioning line up. Elite-defense infield cards raise the odds of converting those high-difficulty chains, rewarding rosters built around glove-first talent.