In baseball jargon, there are a variety of "clubs" of players who have achieved certain rare combinations of statistical achievement in a single season. Two of the most famous clubs are the 30-30 club and the 40-40 club, for players who have achieved at least 30 stolen bases and 30 home runs in a single season for the former, and 40 of each for the latter. One of the most exclusive of these "clubs" is the 20-20-20 Club, which honors players who have hit at least 20 doubles, 20 triples, and 20 home runs in a single season.

Altogether just seven players have ever gained entry into the 20-20-20 club, and no player has achieved the mark more than once. In 1979, when there were just four members, Baseball Digest deemed it "the most exclusive club in baseball." The reason that the club is so hard to gain entry into is that hitting many triples (and to some extent doubles) requires tremendous speed, whereas hitting many home runs requires great strength and power. While a significant number of players have either great speed or great power, very, very few have both. It is also worth noting that of the seven current members of the club, six of them batted left-handed (including one switch hitter), meaning they had a shorter run to reach third base and achieve a triple.

Of the five members of the club eligible for the Baseball Hall of Fame as of this writing, three have been elected, including two on the first ballot. Frank Schulte, Jim Bottomley, and Jimmy Rollins also won Most Valuable Player awards the year they went 20-20-20.


Members of the 20-20-20 Club

Year Player Team 2B 3B HR
1911 Frank Schulte* Chicago Cubs 30 21 21
1928 Jim Bottomley St. Louis Cardinals 42 20 21
1941 Jeff Heath Cleveland Indians 32 20 24
1957 Willie Mays* New York Giants 26 20 35
1979 George Brett Kansas City Royals 42 20 23
2007 Curtis Granderson* Detroit Tigers 38 23 23
2007 Jimmy Rollins* Philadelphia Phillies 38 20 30

* = also a member of the even more exclusive 20-20-20-20 Club, which adds a requirement of 20 stolen bases