One would think that not too many players would lead their league in both triples and home runs. After all, home run hitters are generally big sluggers and triples hitters are usually speedsters and this power/speed combination is a rare thing to find in one player. Perhaps more importantly, the spacious parks which are conducive to high numbers of triples are generally unfriendly to home runs.
So, I went to Baseball-Reference to see how many players have led the league in both triples and homers. As seen in Tables 1 and 2 below, it has been done just eight times - twice in the American League and six times in the National League. It might come to a surprise to some that the last hitter to reach this rare combo was Red Sox slugger Jim Rice in 1978. He led the American League with 46 homers and 15 triples that year. Some might not think of Rice as a a hitter who would get a lot of triples but he also had 15 in 1977 and 79 for his career.
Table 1: Players Who Led the American League in Both Triples and Homers
Year | Player | Team | HR | 3B |
1955 | Mickey Mantle | New York | 37 | 11 |
1978 | Jim Rice | Boston | 46 | 15 |
Table 2: Players Who Led the National League in Both Triples and Homers
Year | Player | Team | HR | 3B |
1880 | Harry Stovey | Worcester | 6 | 14 |
1891 | Harry Stovey | Boston | 16 | 20 |
1902 | Tommy Leach | Pittsburgh | 6 | 22 |
1904 | Harry Lumley | Brooklyn | 9 | 18 |
1928 | Jim Bottomley | St. Louis | 31 | 20 |
1955 | Willie Mays | New York | 51 | 13 |
Prior to Rice, Hall of Fame outfielders Mickey Mantle and Willie Mays led the American League and National League respectively in both categories in 1955. Because they both possessed great power and speed, Mantle and Mays are less surprising than Rice.
All the others on the list played before 1930 when triples were more plentiful and homers more rare and often inside the park. The least known name on the list even to those who follow the game's history closely is probably Brooklyn Superbas outfielder Harry Lumley. The Judge hit nine homers and 18 triples as a rookie in 1904.
Granderson is a long way from leading the league in anything this year. He is always a threat to lead the league in triples, but the home runs will be a little more difficult, even playing in cozy Yankee Stadium. If he continues to hit the long ball though, it will be an interesting item to follow.
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