We know Aaron Judge is in the running for a Triple Crown, currently second to Luis Arraez in the American League battle race, .315 to .313, while leading MLB in home runs and the AL in RBIs.
We know he would be the first player to win a Triple Crown in a season with more than 60 home runs.
But did we know that he could also only win the third Quadruple Triple Crown in AL/NL history? Let’s explain.
Let’s start with: the (regular) Triple Crown
2012: Miguel Cabrera, Tigers (AL)1967: Carl Yastrzemski, Red Sox (AL)1966: Frank Robinson, Orioles (AL)1956: Mickey Mantle, Yankees (AL)*1947: Ted Williams, Red Sox (AL)1942: Ted Williams, Red Sox (AL)*1937: Joe Medwick, Cardinals (NL)1934: Lou Gehrig, Yankees (AL)*1933: Jimmie Foxx, Athletics (AL)1933: Chuck Klein, Phillies (NL)1925: Rogers Hornsby , Cardinals (NL)*1922: Rogers Hornsby, Cardinals (NL)* = Led all AL/NL players in all three categories
That is already a select group, but those three categories are not the end of production, offensive. For example, Judge also leads at least the AL in many other categories. Which? Glad you asked.
And then there’s… the Quadruple Triple Crown
In any case, Judge leads the AL in a specific series of 11 categories, among others, which would be an even 12 if he regained the batting title. Four times three equals 12, and thus the Quadruple Triple Crown.
The 12 categories are: home runs, RBIs, batting average, runs, percentage on base, slugging percentage, OPS, walks, extra-base hits, total bases, wRC+ and WAR, according to FanGraphs, among position players.
Again, Judge currently leads his class in all of these except batting average. If the Triple Crown is intended to encapsulate broad impact – hitting for medium and power when riding in runs – this takes it a step further, adding other elements of offensive impact and quantifying them in different ways . Of course, there are virtually endless combinations and permutations of statistics to choose from – but these are ours for the purposes here.
Of the 12 Triple Crowns, all those players also led at least their leagues in slugging percentage, OPS and total bases. So each was at least a sixfold crown. With Judge battling for a Quadruple Triple, or Duodecuple, Crown, this is where the 12 previous Triple Crowns pile up. We may also learn some new words along the way.
Sevenfold crown: Miguel Cabrera 2012
In his memorable campaign, Cabrera led at least the AL in seven of our categories — the six above, plus extra-base hits. He was second in runs (109, Mike Trout led 129) and wRC+ (166, Trout 167), tied for second in WAR (7.3, Trout 10.1), fourth in on-base percentage (0.393, Joe Mauer .416) and 17th in walks (66, Adam Dunn 105).
Nonuple crowns: 1933 Jimmie Foxx, 1934 Lou Gehrig
Foxx and Gehrig each took nine of the categories, falling just three short. Foxx led the AL in all but percentage of points, walks and on-base. He was second in both runs (125, Gehrig led 138) and on-base percentage (.449, Mickey Cochrane .459) and fourth with a walk (96, Babe Ruth 114). In his ’34 Crown year, Gehrig was second in walks (109, Foxx 111) and extra-base hits (95, Hank Greenberg 96), and was third in runs (128, Charlie Gehringer 135).
Decuple Crowns: 1925 Rogers Hornsby, 1933 Chuck Klein, 1937 Joe Medwick, 1956 Mickey Mantle
These four players got even closer, leading their leagues in 10 of the categories – just two short. Hornsby finished second in two stats: runs (133, Kiki Cuyler led 144) and walks (83, Jack Fournier 86). In ’33, Klein tied for second in runs (101, Pepper Martin 122) and tied for sixth in walks (56, Mel Ott 75). Medwick was third in on-base percentage (.414, Dolph Camilli .446) and 28th in walk (41, Ott 102). It was a walk and OBP that also kept Mantle out of the 12, finishing second in each (.464 OBP, Williams .479; 112 walk, Eddie Yost 151).
Undecuple Crowns: 1922 Rogers Hornsby 1966 Frank Robinson 1967 Carl Yastrzemski
We are almost there. These three players could practically smell that Quadruple Triple Crown – if of course it was real and then these stats all existed and were part of the lexicon, which they weren’t. And every player fell short in the same category: walks. Hornsby was seventh (65, Max Carey led with 80), Robinson was third (87, Harmon Killebrew 103) and Yastrzemski fourth (91, Killebrew 131). Unfortunately, what could have been.
Duodecuple crowns: 1942 Ted Williams, 1947 Ted Williams
That is it. For now, that’s our list of players leading their leagues in home runs, RBIs, batting average, runs, percentage on base, slugging percentage, OPS, walks, extra-base hits, total bases, wRC+ and WAR in a season. Just a Hall of Famer, twice – in two years when he didn’t win an MVP. The list of Triple Crown winners is already small, but as we quadruple our categories, it will, as expected, become even rarer.
Judge led all 12 at the end of several days this season. As it stands, if he comes in on Friday, if he regains the batting average lead, he would be back in Quadruple Triple, or Duodecuple, Crown position. More potential history for the powerful slugger.