Triple Milestones 2012

Offensive production in the major leagues was mixed in 2012.  The number of runs and home runs per game both increased in 2012 after reaching 20-year lows in 2011.  Batting average was the same as in 2011 but on-base average dropped to .319, the lowest figure since the 1980s.  However slugging average increased from .399 in 2011 to .405 in 2012.

A useful indicator for tracking offense is the number of players who hit for both power and average by achieving a .300 batting average, 30 home runs and 100 runs batted in.  A record 26 players reached all three milestones in 2000, but that figure has dropped significantly in recent years. Only four players reached all three milestones in 2012, the lowest since 1994, as 23 of the players with 30+ home runs failed to reach 100 RBIs and bat .300. Miguel Cabrera and Ryan Braun were the only players who made it in both 2011 and 2012.Home runs were up in 2012 as several power hitters emerged.  Six players hit 40 or more home runs in 2012 compared to two in 2011. The 30 home run level was reached by 27 players in 2012 compared to 24 in 2011 and 18 in 2010.

Joining Cabrera and Braun in the .300-30-100 club were Adrian Beltre and Prince Fielder.  It was the second time for Beltre and the first time for Fielder, bringing the total to 171 players who have registered at least one .300-30-100 season starting with Babe Ruth in 1920.

Following is a listing of players who achieved triple milestones in 2012.

Four players achieved triple milestones in 2011 but fell short in 2012:

All of the above players, excepting Konerko, missed significant playing time with injuries.

Billy Butler of the Royals came close to Triple Milestones with.313-29-107.

The following list contains the names of players, active in 2012, who have had multiple .300-30-100 seasons in the past but have not done it in the last three years.  Many have been limited by injuries. Some are still very productive players like David Ortiz and Matt Holliday, but not at the same level they were in their peak years.  Since this list was started in 2004, not one player has come back with another .300-30-100 season.

In his 1988 Baseball Abstract, Bill James referred to triple milestone seasons as “Hall of Fame Seasons”.  This was because all of the eligible players with 5 or more triple milestone seasons had been elected to the Hall of Fame.  This correlation was broken in 2011 when Juan Gonzalez and Jeff Bagwell fell short of election in their first year of eligibility.

The Detroit Tigers had two players with triple milestones in 2012.  Twenty nine of the thirty major league teams have now had at least one triple milestone hitter since the year 2000. Kansas City has not had a triple milestone hitter since Danny Tartabull in 1991, but Billy Butler came close in 2012.

Five minor league players also recorded triple milestone seasons in 2012 including two who finished the season in the major leagues.

Player Team (Level )               Organization Age BAVG-HR-RBI

Darin Ruf            Reading (AA)             Philadelphia        25              .317-38-104    Philadelphia (NL)   .333- 3- 10

Will Myers         AA and AAA                Kansas City          21              .307-37-109

Jedd Gyorko     AA and AAA                San Diego             23              .311-30-100

John Lindsey    MEX and AAA             Detroit                  35             .310-36-111

Anthony Rizzo  AAA and Majors        Chicago Cubs     22             .310-38-110

No college player achieved Triple Milestones in 2012.

Pitchers also strive for triple milestones – 20 wins, 200 strikeouts and an ERA under 3.00. Three pitchers made it in 2012, the most since 1974, The three who made it in 2012 are:

Pitcher Wins-Strikeouts-ERA

Gio Gonzalez      21-207-2.89

R. A. Dickey       20-230-2.73

David Price        20-205-2.56

Justin Verlander and Clayton Kershaw both made it in 2011 but fell short in wins in 2012.  The three who made it in 2012 all accomplished it for the first time.

A complete list of hitters with triple milestone seasons since 1920 can be found at Baseball-Almanac, with the following link.

http://www.baseball-almanac.com/legendary/triple_milestones.shtml