Triple

A triple, also called a three-base hit and abbreviated 3B, is a base hit that allows the batter to reach third base without the benefit of an error. 

A triple is also awarded when a player is thrown out at home plate trying for an inside-the-park home run. The triple is the least common of all hits and often the most difficult part of hitting for the cycle. Players who hit a lot of triples are usually speedsters who can take advantage of a batted ball finding a gap between outfielders and rolling all the way to the fence. The number of triples hit is also affected by the configuration of the ballpark: a park with a large outfield area and a distant fence will be more conducive to hitting triples that a bandbox.

Researchers have demonstrated that the fall in the number of triples hit over the years is directly correlated to the decrease of ballpark size: whereas it was once common for ballparks to have a centerfield fence 450 or more feet from home plate, the absolute maximum now is 420 feet. The fall in triples hit tracks the decrease in average outfield size.

All Time Leaders
Span	Player	Total	Notes
Career	Sam Crawford	309
Season	Owen Wilson	36	1912
Game	Bill Joyce	4	May 18, 1897
Game	George Strief	4	June 25, 1885
NPB Career	Yutaka Fukumoto	115
NPB Season	Masayuki Kaneda	18	1912
Minors Career	Joe Riggert	228
Minors Season	Jack Cross	32	1925
AAGPBL Career	Eleanor Callow	60
AAGPBL Season	Betty Foss	17	1952

Further Reading

• Theo Tobel: "The Mystery of the Disappearing Three-Bagger", Baseball Research Journal, SABR, Volume 51, Number 2 (Fall 2022), pp. 48-51.