There’s no one in modern Major League Baseball like Arizona Diamondbacks outfielder Corbin Carroll.
The multi-talented lefty hits triples like no one else in MLB, and it’s not even close.
In fact, he’s such a dominant triples hitter relative to his peers that Carroll has a chance to join Giants legend Willie Mays in MLB history.
Carroll is going to lead the National League in triples for the fourth season in a row — and all of MLB for the third season in a row.
Through action on Sept. 3, Carroll has hit 16 triples (in addition to 28 doubles and 19 home runs).
His career-high is 17 triples, so he’s got a good chance to break that.
Maybe even more notable is the gap to second place, though. The most triples by anyone in MLB this season by someone not named Carroll is eight. He’s currently doubling up the competition in triples with his 16.
Corbin Carroll Chasing Willie Mays
Carroll’s current eight-triple gap to second place in the league rankings would be the widest gap in MLB since 1957.
That’s when Mays hit 20 triples, and second place had 11, a gap of nine triples.
OptaStats shares that there hasn’t been a gap that wide since:
Corbin Carroll leads MLB with 16 triples this season, 8 more than the next closest MLB players.
It would be the largest gap in triples between an MLB leader and second place since 1957, when Willie Mays (20) finished with nine more triples than Bill Virdon (11). pic.twitter.com/ZEM6M2yPKW
— OptaSTATS (@OptaSTATS) September 4, 2026
It’s worth noting, of course, that there’s still almost a month left in the season. Carroll could expand this triples gap to match Mays at a nine-triple gap, or he could even make it double digits.
It could get closer, of course, but with the way Carroll hits triples, that seems unlikely.
For what it’s worth, second place in triples is currently held by two players. Otto Lopez of the Miami Marlins has hit eight triples, and so has Colorado Rockies outfielder Jake McCarthy.
Luis Arraez of the Phillies and Pete Crow-Armstrong of the Cubs have each hit seven triples.
One Obstacle for Corbin Carroll
There’s just one thing that could hold Carroll back from keeping this mark: his back.
He’s not going to give up the triples crown, but if he can’t hit any more, the gap might close.
And right now, Carroll is playing through what the Diamondbacks have called a sore lower back.
It isn’t keeping him out of the lineup — Carroll plans to keep playing as the Diamondbacks try to chase down an NL Wild Card spot.
It also could slow him down just a bit. He may opt to be just a bit more conservative on the bases. Maybe a potential triple is held to a double.
But still — it’s amazing what Carroll does when he hits a ball in the gap. He takes off at full throttle, and he often ends up at third base.
Diamondbacks’ Corbin Carroll Sprints to Willie Mays MLB History