The record of Main League Baseball’s Triple Crown winners is a small one. Let’s look again on the gamers who’ve led their respective league in batting common, residence runs and RBIs in the identical season.
There was some drama in the course of the closing collection of the common season in 2012. And it had nothing to do with the Detroit Tigers’ place within the standings.
The Tigers had already wrapped up the American League Central title when Miguel Cabrera dug in on the ultimate day in opposition to the Kansas Metropolis Royals with an opportunity to perform one thing no participant had carried out in 45 years.
The then-29-year-old third baseman went 6 for 10 with a house run and three RBIs within the closing three-game collection at Kauffman Stadium to carry off Mike Trout of the Los Angeles Angels by 4 proportion factors to win the AL batting title.
Cabrera additionally led the majors with 44 homers and 139 RBIs to turn into baseball’s first batting Triple Crown winner since Carl Yastrzemski of the Boston Purple Sox in 1967. Only for good measure, he topped MLB in each slugging proportion (.606) and OPS (.999) – and tied Derek Jeter for probably the most two-hit video games (64) as properly.
“I don’t suppose folks notice what a particular accomplishment it truly is,” then-Tigers President Dave Dombrowski instructed the Detroit Free Press. “To steer all three classes the identical 12 months, to win the Triple Crown, is one thing most of us have by no means seen, and possibly won’t ever see once more.”
Will we see one other MLB Triple Crown? It’s definitely up for debate. In spite of everything, there have solely been 17 such seasons in baseball historical past. Till Cabrera’s 2012 AL MVP marketing campaign, some believed it will occur once more because the years glided by following Yaz’s historic efficiency.
For now, we will solely wait and watch. And whereas we accomplish that, let’s look again on the gamers who’ve led their respective league in batting common, residence runs and RBIs in the identical season.
Commissioner Rob Manfred first introduced MLB would acknowledge statistics from the Negro Leagues in 2020. And earlier than the 2024 season, the league made it official. Our information have since been up to date to incorporate these statistics from legendary Negro League gamers.
2012
Miguel Cabrera, Detroit Tigers (AL): .330 Common/44 Residence Runs/139 RBIs
1967
Carl Yastrzemski, Boston Purple Sox (AL): .326 BA/44 HRs/121 RBIs
Solely a 12 months after baseball had celebrated its first Triple Crown season in 10 years, Yaz led the AL in common, RBIs, runs, hits, complete bases, on-base proportion and slugging. The three-time batting champion truly completed in a tie for first in homers with Harmon Killebrew of the Minnesota Twins.
1966
Frank Robinson, Baltimore Orioles (AL): .316 BA, 49 HRs/122 RBIs
As if his legendary efficiency in the course of the common season wasn’t sufficient, Robinson led the Orioles to a shocking sweep of the Los Angeles Dodgers within the World Collection. The perennial All-Star and Corridor of Famer hit residence runs in Video games 1 and 4, turning into one in all solely 5 gamers to win each the World Collection and AL or NL MVP Awards in the identical season.
1956
Mickey Mantle, New York Yankees (AL): .353 BA/52 HRs/130 RBIs
Mantle added to his legend in 1956 with the most effective seasons of all time. He turned the final participant to win the Triple Crown whereas main the majors in every of the three classes. How dominant was The Mick? He bested Ted Williams by eight proportion factors to win the batting title, hit 9 extra homers than Duke Snider of the Brooklyn Dodgers and his RBI complete was 21 greater than anybody not named Al Kaline (128).
1947
Ted Williams, Boston Purple Sox (AL): .343 BA/32 HRs/114 RBIs
There’s a cause why the Splendid Splinter is taken into account one of many biggest hitters of all time. He’s solely of solely two batters to win two Triple Crowns. He almost gained a 3rd in 1949 when he led the league in homers and tied for the AL lead in RBIs however completed only one ten-thousandth of a degree behind George Kell within the batting race.
1942
Ted Robust, Kansas Metropolis Monarchs (NAL): .347 BA/7 HRs/42 RBIs
Lennie Pearson, Newark Eagles/Homestead Grays (NNL2): .335 BA/11 HRs/56 RBIs
Ted Williams, Boston Purple Sox (AL): .356 BA/36 HRs/137 RBIs
1937
Josh Gibson, Homestead Grays (NNL2): .423 BA/20 HRs/73 RBIs
Joe Medwick, St. Louis Cardinals (NL): .374 BA/31 HRs/154 RBIs
Imagine it or not, Medwick is the final participant from the Senior Circuit to win a Triple Crown. He tied Mel Ott of the New York Giants within the residence run race, beat out teammate Johnny Mize for the batting title and completed with a 41 extra RBIs than some other Nationwide Leaguer. Medwick ended his profession with simply 551 strikeouts in 8,143 plate appearances for a 6.8% strikeout price – ridiculous by as we speak’s requirements.
1936
Josh Gibson, Pittsburgh Crawfords (NNL2): .389 BA/18 HRs/66 RBIs
1934
Lou Gehrig, New York Yankees (AL): .363 BA/49 HRs/165 RBIs
This was the period of the Triple Crown with 4 winners over a five-year stretch. Gehrig was simply the very best hitter in baseball in 1934, incomes the key league Triple Crown (main the majors in all three classes). He additionally completed with 170 runs created, properly forward of the next-best participant – Charlie Gehringer of the Tigers with 146. His 208.2 OPS+ was far forward of Jimmie Foxx of the Philadelphia A’s (179.3) and his 8.1 batting WAR far surpassed Foxx’s 5.9.
1933
Jimmie Foxx, Philadelphia Athletics (AL): .356 BA/48 HRs/163 RBIs
Chuck Klein, Philadelphia Phillies (NL): .368 BA/28 HRs/120 RBIs
Philadelphia was the house of the Triple Crown in 1933. It marked the one time in baseball historical past {that a} participant in every league gained the Triple Crown in the identical season. Foxx simply dominated within the residence run and RBI classes, whereas Klein had the benefit within the batting common division. Opposing pitchers little question dreaded the journey to Philly that 12 months.
1930
Willie Wells, St. Louis Stars (NNL): .413 BA/17 HRs/116 RBIs
1926
Mule Suttles, St. Louis Stars (NNL): .425 BA/32 HRs/130 RBIs
1925
Oscar Charleston, Harrisburg Giants (ECL): .427 BA/20 HRs/97 RBIs
Rogers Hornsby, St. Louis Cardinals (NL): .403 BA/39 HRs/143 RBIs
Hornsby turned the primary participant to win two Triple Crowns in 1925. Of the 13 events somebody has hit .400 or higher in a single season within the fashionable period (since 1901), Hornsby and Cobb are the one gamers with three of them. Hornsby, nevertheless, has the very best mark over that span at .424 between his two Nationwide League Triple Crowns in 1924.
1924
Oscar Charleston, Harrisburg Giants (ECL): .405 BA/15 HRs/63 RBIs
1923
Oscar “Heavy” Johnson, Kansas Metropolis Monarchs (NNL): .406 BA/20 HRs/120 RBIs
1922
Rogers Hornsby, St. Louis Cardinals (NL): .401 BA/42 HRs/152 RBIs
1912
Heinie Zimmerman, Chicago Cubs (NL): .372 BA/14 HRs/104 RBIs
1909
Ty Cobb, Detroit Tigers (AL): .377 BA/9 HRs/107 RBIs
In the course of the dead-ball period, Cobb solely wanted 9 residence runs to guide MLB in 1909. Tris Speaker of the Boston Purple Sox and Purple Murray of the New York Giants have been the closest rivals to the eventual Corridor of Fame outfielder with seven. Cobb additionally led all of baseball in batting common and RBIs. After a 24-year profession, Cobb acquired probably the most votes of any participant on the inaugural Baseball Corridor of Fame poll in 1936.
1901
Nap Lajoie, Philadelphia Athletics (AL): .422 BA/14 HRs/125 RBIs
1887
Tip O’Neill, St. Louis Browns (American Affiliation): .485 BA/14 HRs/123 RBIs
1878
Paul Hines, Windfall Grays (NL): .358 BA/4 HRs/50 RBIs
Analysis assist offered by Stats Carry out’s Dylan Slaughter.
