No major leaguer has won a triple crown since Boston’s Carl Yastrzemski in his World Series season of 1967 with 44 homers, 121 RBI, and .326 batting average.
The last National Leaguer to win the triple crown was another St. Louis Cardinal, Joe “Ducky” Medwick, who batted .374 with 31 home runs and 154 RBI.
Both are Hall of Famers.
In fact, every player who has ever achieved triple crown status has been enshrined in Cooperstown with the exception of Tip O’Neill, who played from 1883 to 1892 with the New York Gothams, St. Louis Browns, Chicago Pirates, and Cincinnati Reds.
O’Neill had the distinction of playing in a seven-game, tied World Series of 1885 between the Browns and the Chicago White Stockings!
O’Neill won the triple crown in 1887 with an incredible .435 batting average with 14 homers and 123 RBI.
In fact, of the five National Leaguers to win the triple crown, three were Cardinals, with Medwick winning it once and Rogers Hornsby winning it twice (1922 and 1925).
So can Albert Pujols become the first National League triple crown winner in 73 seasons?
Maybe.
The Cardinal is currently fourth in batting as of August 20 with a .316 average, just four points behind Cincinnati’s Joey Votto.
Pujols is first in homers with 32 as well as in RBI’s with 88, and has a .596 slugging percentage with roughly 40 games to play!
With no player having earned triple crown in some 43 seasons, Albert Pujols’ quiet run for greatness continues in year where pitching is dominating hitters in both leagues.
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