In baseball, a triple play (denoted as TP in baseball statistics) is the act of making three outs during the same play. There have only been 737 triple plays in Major League Baseball (MLB) since 1876, an average of just over five per season. They depend on a combination of two factors, which are themselves uncommon: In baseball scorekeeping, the abbreviation GITP can be used if the batter grounded into a triple play.

Examples

The most likely scenario for a triple play is no outs with runners on first base and second base, which has been the case for the majority of MLB triple plays. In that context, two examples of triple plays are:

Most recent MLB triple play

The most recent triple play in MLB was turned by the San Diego Padres on September 24, 2024, against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the bottom of the ninth inning. With Tommy Edman at second base and Enrique Hernandez at first base, Miguel Rojas lined a ball to the third baseman, Manny Machado, who fielded the ball on a hop and touched third base (first out). Machado threw to second baseman Jake Cronenworth (second out), who then threw to Donovan Solano at first base (third out). The Padres won, 4–2, clinching a playoff spot. It was the first triple play for the Padres since 2010.

Unassisted triple plays

The rarest type of triple play, and one of the rarest events of any kind in baseball, is for a single fielder to complete all three outs in one play. There have only been 15 unassisted triple plays in MLB history, making this feat rarer than a perfect game. Typically, an unassisted triple play is achieved when a middle infielder catches a line drive near second base (first out), steps on the base before the runner who started there can tag up (second out), and then tags the runner advancing from first before he can return there (third out). Of the 15 unassisted triple plays in MLB history, 12 have been completed in this manner by a middle infielder.

Most recent MLB unassisted triple play

The most recent MLB unassisted triple play is consistent with the above – it occurred on August 23, 2009, by second baseman Eric Bruntlett of the Philadelphia Phillies, in a game against the New York Mets. In the bottom of the ninth inning with men on first and second base, the base runners were both running when Jeff Francoeur hit a line drive very close to second base, which Bruntlett was covering. Bruntlett caught the ball (first out), stepped on second base before Luis Castillo could tag up (second out), and then tagged Daniel Murphy who was approaching from first base (third out) to end the game. This was only the second game-ending unassisted triple play in MLB history, the first one having occurred in 1927.

Unfielded triple play

Political columnist and baseball enthusiast George Will posed one hypothetical way that a triple play could occur with no fielder touching the ball. With runners on first and second and no outs, the batter hits an infield fly, and is automatically out: one out. The runner from first passes the runner from second and is called out for that infraction: two outs. Just after that, the falling ball hits the runner from second, who is called out for interference: three outs. Whenever a batter or runner is out without a fielder touching the ball, MLB rule book section 10.09 provides for automatic putouts to be assigned by the official scorer. In this case, the first out would be credited to whoever the official scorer believes would have had the best chance of catching the infield fly. The second and third outs would be credited to the fielder(s) closest to the points the runners were, when their respective outs occurred. Under the scenario described above, the same fielder (the shortstop, for example) could be credited with all three putouts, thus attaining an unassisted triple play without having touched the ball. While this has never occurred in a major-league game, Texas League Hall of Famer Keith Bodie tells Sporting News that this event occurred in a 1986 spring training game.

Odd and notable triple plays

Historical totals

The statistics below reflect historical totals through September 24, 2024.

Baserunners

Position of baserunners when the triple play started. † This triple play, by the New York Giants against the Providence Grays during the season, was scored as 4*-4*-3*, with a newspaper account the next day naming the fielders, batter, and runners at first and second; however, it is unknown if there was a runner at third base.

Outs

Asterisks (*) denote which players recorded outs, per standard baseball positions. Combinations that have occurred at least 10 times are listed individually. Source:

Cultural references

On June 27, 1967, the New York Mets and Pittsburgh Pirates staged a triple play before their game at Shea Stadium for the film The Odd Couple. The scene depicts Bill Mazeroski of the Pirates grounding into a game-ending 5-4-3 triple play. Mazeroski, who played 17 major league seasons, was involved in only one actual MLB triple play; he was the runner on second base when the Chicago Cubs turned a 3-3-6 triple play on October 3, 1965.