On Saturday, I noticed Jose Ramirez hit his fourth triple of the season stand alone in leading the AL in the category. Ramirez does not strike me as a triples hitter, but since 2013 (he had a cup of coffee that season and hit a triple), he is in the top twenty with thirty two triples. One reason for the disconnect is that the triples hitters tend not to be power hitters. Only Mike Trout and Ramirez among players in the top twenty own slugging percentages over .500 (although Charlie Blackmon is close at .499). So Ramirez does not really fit the profile of a triples hitter, but I’m less surprised now that he leads the AL.
In addition, the Diamondbacks hit two triples in an inning on Saturday. It’s the fourth time that happened this season; it happened seven times in 2021. Those two events made me wonder if triples were up this season.
When runs become scarcer, risky strategies should rise. Sacrifice bunts, stolen base attempts, and trying to take extra bases on hits start becoming worth the risk of giving away an out. Did the drop in offense we’ve seen in 2022 lead to more triples?
No, unfortunately. This spreadsheet charts the percentage of plate appearances ending in triples since Major League Baseball lowered the mound in 1969. That season, triples accounted for 0.57% of plate appearances. In 1977, they accounted for 0.72% of PA, the highest of the era. In 2022, that rate sits at 0.35%, the lowest of any year in that ERA.
Triples have fallen steadily during the history of baseball, so this is nothing new. I did hope to see a blip up, however.
The spreadsheet also looks at doubles, which in general have been more stable over the time period, pretty much rising and falling with offense. The ratio of doubles to triples has skyrocketed, however. Back in 1969 there were 5.7 doubles for every triple. This season, there as 12.3 doubles for every triple. That extra base continues to be taboo.
It’s too bad, the triple is an exciting play. Probabilities demand, however, that players go for the extra bag in very few situations.