Bill Gilbert: Triple Milestones – 2017

Triple Milestones – 2017

By Bill Gilbert

Offensive production in the major leagues increased again in 2017 due to another spike in the home run rate. Other offensive measures were also at the highest level in several years.

TRIPLE MILESTONE PRODUCTION: 1990-2017

YEAR	R/G	HR/G	AVG	OBA	SLG	OPS	TMH*
1990	8.51	1.58	.258	.324	.386	.710	2
1991	8.62	1.61	.255	.323	.384	.707	3
1992	8.23	1.44	.256	.322	.377	.699	2
1993	9.20	1.78	.266	.332	.404	.736	5
1994	9.85	2.07	.270	.339	.424	.763	3
1995	9.69	2.02	.267	.338	.417	.755	8
1996	10.07	2.19	2.70	.340	.427	.767	21
1997	9.53	2.05	.267	.337	.419	.756	7
1998	9.58	2.08	.266	.335	.420	.755	14
1999	10.17	2.28	.271	.345	.434	.779	19
2000	10.28	2.34	.271	.345	.437	.782	26
2001	9.55	2.25	.264	.332	.427	.759	21
2002	9.24	2.09	.261	.331	.417	.748	12
2003	9.46	2.14	.264	.332	.422	.754	8
2004	9.63	2.25	.266	.335	.428	.763	12
2005	9.18	2.06	.265	.330	.419	.749	10
2006	9.72	2.22	.269	.336	.432	.768	13
2007	9.59	2.04	.268	.336	.423	.759	8
2008	9.30	2.01	.264	.333	.417	.750	7
2009	9.23	2.02	.262	.333	.418	.751	6
2010	8.77	1.90	.257	.325	.403	.728	6
2011	8.57	1.87	.255	.321	.399	.720	7
2012	8.64	2.03	.255	.319	.405	.724	4
2013	8.33	1.92	.253	.318	.396	.714	3
2014	8.13	1.73	.251	.314	.386	.700	2
2015	8.50	2.02	.254	.317	.405	.721	1
2016	8.96	2.23	.255	.322	.417	.739	4
2017	9.30	2.51	.255	.314	.426	.750	7

TMH* = Triple Milestones Hitters

Despite the increase in home runs, only five players hit 40 or more compared to eight in 2016 and nine in 2015. The big increase in the last two years has come in players that hit 30 or more home runs. This level was reached by 33 players in 2017, 38 in 2016 but only 11 in 2015.

A useful indicator for tracking offense is the number of players who hit for both power and average by achieving the old-school milestones of a .300 batting average, 30 home runs and 100 runs batted in. A record 26 players reached all three Triple Crown category milestones in 2000, but that figure has dropped significantly in recent years. Only one player achieved all three in 2015. This figure increased to 4 in 2016 and 7 in 2017, the highest number since 2011, reflecting the increase in offense. Of the 33 players with 30+ home runs, only eight batted over .300. Maintaining a .300 batting average is the most difficult of the three milestones to reach.

The only player that made the .300-30-100 club in 2015, Paul Goldschmidt of Arizona, fell short in 2016 and 2017. The four players who made it in 2016, all in the American League, failed to repeat in 2017.

PLAYER	TIMES	2016	2017
MIGUEL CABRERA	8	.316-38-108	.248-16-60
DAVID ORTIZ	5	.315-38-127	Retired
ADRIAN BELTRE	3	.300-32-104	.312-17-71
MOOKIE BETTS	1	.318-31-113	.264-24-102
JOEY VOTTO	2		.320-36-100
JOSE ABREU	2		.304-33-102
CHARLIE BLACKMON	1		.331-37-104
MARCELL OZUNA	1		.312-37-124
NOLAN ARENADO	1		.309-37-130
JD MARTINEZ	1		.303-45-104
RYAN ZIMMERMAN	1		.303-36-108

GILBERT COMMENTS ON ABOVE 11 PLAYERS:

CABRERA: “Worst year by far”

ORTIZ: “Went out on top in 2016”

BELTRE: “Slowed by injuries”

BETTS: “Failed to reach 2016 heights”

VOTTO: “Barely made it”

ABREU: “ Made it in 2004 rookie year”

BLACKMON: “Breakout year”

OZUNA: “Emerging star”

ARENADO: “first year hitting .300”

MARTINEZ: “Released by Astros in 2014”

ZIMMERMAN: “Big comeback year”

TWO PLAYERS CAME CLOSE IN 2017:

PLAYER	TIMES	2017	COMMENTS
PAUL GOLDSCHMIDT	2	.297-36-120	“Late slump hurt BA”
JONATHAN SCHOOP	0	.293-32-105	“Orioles’ best in 2017

Tags: Bill Gilbert: Triple Milestones - 2017

This entry was posted on December 23, 2017 at 5:45 am and is filed under Baseball, Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

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