Total Bases: could Trout catch Ruth or Aaron?

Babe Ruth set the season record in 1921 and still holds it. Here are the top 20 seasons in Total Bases (1B + (2B*2) + (3B*3) + (HR*4)) sorted by year:

Rk	Player	TB	2B	3B	HR	Year ▲	Age	Tm	Lg	G	PA	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	IBB	SO	HBP	SH	SF	GDP	SB	CS	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS	Pos
1	Babe Ruth	457	44	16	59	1921	26	NYY	AL	152	693	540	177	204	168	145		81	4	4			17	13	.378	.512	.846	1.359	*78/13
2	Rogers Hornsby	450	46	14	42	1922	26	STL	NL	154	704	623	141	250	152	65		50	1	15			17	12	.401	.459	.722	1.181	*4
3	Babe Ruth	417	29	8	60	1927	32	NYY	AL	151	691	540	158	192	165	137		89	0	14			7	6	.356	.486	.772	1.258	*97
4	Lou Gehrig	447	52	18	47	1927	24	NYY	AL	155	717	584	149	218	173	109		84	3	21			10	8	.373	.474	.765	1.240	*3
5	Rogers Hornsby	409	47	8	39	1929	33	CHC	NL	156	712	602	156	229	149	87		65	1	22			2		.380	.459	.679	1.139	*4
6	Babe Herman	416	48	11	35	1930	27	BRO	NL	153	699	614	143	241	130	66		56	4	15			18		.393	.455	.678	1.132	*9/H
7	Lou Gehrig	419	42	17	41	1930	27	NYY	AL	154	703	581	143	220	173	101		63	3	18			12	14	.379	.473	.721	1.194	*3/7
8	Hack Wilson	423	35	6	56	1930	30	CHC	NL	155	709	585	146	208	191	105		84	1	18			3		.356	.454	.723	1.177	*8
9	Chuck Klein	445	59	8	40	1930	25	PHI	NL	156	722	648	158	250	170	54		50	4	13			4		.386	.436	.687	1.123	*9
10	Lou Gehrig	410	31	15	46	1931	28	NYY	AL	155	738	619	163	211	185	117		56	0	2			17	12	.341	.446	.662	1.108	*3/9
11	Chuck Klein	420	50	15	38	1932	27	PHI	NL	154	711	650	152	226	137	60		49	1	0			20		.348	.404	.646	1.050	*9
12	Jimmie Foxx	438	33	9	58	1932	24	PHA	AL	154	702	585	151	213	169	116		96	0	0			3	7	.364	.469	.749	1.218	*35
13	Lou Gehrig	409	40	6	49	1934	31	NYY	AL	154	690	579	128	210	166	109		31	2	0			9	5	.363	.465	.706	1.172	*3/6
14	Joe DiMaggio	418	35	15	46	1937	22	NYY	AL	151	692	621	151	215	167	64		37	5	2			3	0	.346	.412	.673	1.085	*8/H
15	Stan Musial	429	46	18	39	1948	27	STL	NL	155	698	611	135	230	131	79		34	3	1		18	7		.376	.450	.702	1.152	*987/3
16	Larry Walker	409	46	4	49	1997	30	COL	NL	153	664	568	143	208	130	78	14	90	14	0	4	15	33	8	.366	.452	.720	1.172	*9/3H8D
17	Sammy Sosa	416	20	0	66	1998	29	CHC	NL	159	722	643	134	198	158	73	14	171	1	0	5	20	18	9	.308	.377	.647	1.024	*9/8
18	Barry Bonds	411	32	2	73	2001	36	SFG	NL	153	664	476	129	156	137	177	35	93	9	0	2	5	13	3	.328	.515	.863	1.379	*7/DH
19	Luis Gonzalez	419	36	7	57	2001	33	ARI	NL	162	728	609	128	198	142	100	24	83	14	0	5	14	1	1	.325	.429	.688	1.117	*7/H
20	Sammy Sosa	425	34	5	64	2001	32	CHC	NL	160	711	577	146	189	160	116	37	153	6	0	12	6	0	2	.328	.437	.737	1.174	*9

The earlier players hit more triples. The five most recent seasons with at least 409 TB have few triples. That would make it more difficult for a current player to get even 400 TB.

Tops since 2002:

Rk	Player	TB	2B	3B	HR	Year	Age	Tm	Lg	G	PA	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	IBB	SO	HBP	SH	SF	GDP	SB	CS	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS	Pos
1	Albert Pujols	394	51	1	43	2003	23	STL	NL	157	685	591	137	212	124	79	12	65	10	0	5	13	5	1	.359	.439	.667	1.106	*73/HD
2	Derrek Lee	393	50	3	46	2005	29	CHC	NL	158	691	594	120	199	107	85	23	109	5	0	7	12	15	3	.335	.418	.662	1.080	*3
3	Albert Pujols	389	51	2	46	2004	24	STL	NL	154	692	592	133	196	123	84	12	52	7	0	9	21	5	5	.331	.415	.657	1.072	*3/DH
4	Alex Rodriguez	389	27	2	57	2002	26	TEX	AL	162	725	624	125	187	142	87	12	122	10	0	4	14	9	4	.300	.392	.623	1.015	*6/H
5	Charlie Blackmon	387	35	14	37	2017	30	COL	NL	159	725	644	137	213	104	65	9	135	10	3	3	4	14	10	.331	.399	.601	1.000	*8/H
6	Matt Holliday	386	50	6	36	2007	27	COL	NL	158	713	636	120	216	137	63	7	126	10	0	4	23	11	4	.340	.405	.607	1.012	*7/D
7	Ryan Howard	383	25	1	58	2006	26	PHI	NL	159	704	581	104	182	149	108	37	181	9	0	6	7	0	0	.313	.425	.659	1.084	*3/H
8	Alfonso Soriano	381	51	2	39	2002	26	NYY	AL	156	741	696	128	209	102	23	1	157	14	1	7	8	41	13	.300	.332	.547	.880	*4/HD
9	Jimmy Rollins	380	38	20	30	2007	28	PHI	NL	162	778	716	139	212	94	49	5	85	7	0	6	11	41	6	.296	.344	.531	.875	*6
10	Giancarlo Stanton	377	32	0	59	2017	27	MIA	NL	159	692	597	123	168	132	85	13	163	7	0	3	13	2	2	.281	.376	.631	1.007	*9/HD
11	Miguel Cabrera	377	40	0	44	2012	29	DET	AL	161	697	622	109	205	139	66	17	98	3	0	6	28	4	1	.330	.393	.606	.999	*5/D3
12	Alex Rodriguez	376	31	0	54	2007	31	NYY	AL	158	708	583	143	183	156	95	11	120	21	0	9	15	24	4	.314	.422	.645	1.067	*5/D
13	Adrian Beltre	376	32	0	48	2004	25	LAD	NL	156	657	598	104	200	121	53	9	87	2	0	4	15	7	2	.334	.388	.629	1.017	*5/H6

Four had zero triples and two had one triple. Only Blackmon and Rollins had a significant number of triples. Stanton hit the 9th most home runs all time and the most since Bonds (73) and Sosa (64) in 2001. But Stanton's double total was modest and his triples non-existent.

Home Runs >= 493: distribution of 1B, 2B, 3B, HR as percent of Hits and Total Bases. Wednesday, May 9, 2018

Distribution of 1B, 2B, 3B, HR as percent of Hits and Total Bases 1903-2017. Sunday, March 11, 2018

Lately some attention has been given to the reduction in total triples in recent years. This post puts that into a broader context. See graphs below.
______________________

Home Runs replacing Singles. Friday, May 4, 2018 10:45AM

It's more about Home Runs replacing Singles than Triples declining.
_______________________

2018 by team: distribution of 1B, 2B, 3B, HR as percent of Hits and Total Bases first month. Friday, May 4, 2018 3:35PM
_______________________

So where's Mike Trout? On the all time list and since 2002:
338/76. 339 in 2015
347/80. 338 in 2014

In other words, Mike Trout is nowhere near the top even in recent seasons. The Babe's season record seems safe.

Career at least 5,000 TB:

Rk	Player	TB	2B	3B	HR	From	To	Age	G	PA	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	IBB	SO	HBP	SH	SF	GDP	SB	CS	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS	Pos	Tm
1	Hank Aaron	6856	624	98	755	1954	1976	20-42	3298	13941	12364	2174	3771	2297	1402	293	1383	32	21	121	328	240	73	.305	.374	.555	.928	*9783DH/45	MLN-ATL-MIL
2	Stan Musial	6134	725	177	475	1941	1963	20-42	3026	12718	10972	1949	3630	1951	1599	127	696	53	35	53	243	78	31	.331	.417	.559	.976	3798H/1	STL
3	Willie Mays	6066	523	140	660	1951	1973	20-42	2992	12496	10881	2062	3283	1903	1464	192	1526	44	13	91	251	338	103	.302	.384	.557	.941	*8H/39675	NYG-SFG-NYM
4	Barry Bonds	5976	601	77	762	1986	2007	21-42	2986	12606	9847	2227	2935	1996	2558	688	1539	106	4	91	165	514	141	.298	.444	.607	1.051	*78H/D9	PIT-SFG
5	Ty Cobb	5854	724	295	117	1905	1928	18-41	3034	13087	11434	2244	4189	1944	1249		680	94	291			897	212	.366	.433	.512	.945	*89/H73415	DET-PHA
6	Alex Rodriguez	5813	548	31	696	1994	2016	18-40	2784	12207	10566	2021	3115	2086	1338	97	2287	176	16	111	261	329	76	.295	.380	.550	.930	65D/H3	SEA-TEX-NYY
7	Babe Ruth	5793	506	136	714	1914	1935	19-40	2503	10623	8399	2174	2873	2214	2062		1330	43	113		2	123	117	.342	.474	.690	1.164	971/H83	BOS-NYY-BSN
8	Pete Rose	5752	746	135	160	1963	1986	22-45	3562	15890	14053	2165	4256	1314	1566	167	1143	107	56	79	247	198	149	.303	.375	.409	.784	37549H/8	CIN-PHI-MON
9	Albert Pujols	5580	630	16	626	2001	2018	21-38	2645	11492	10019	1753	3040	1960	1265	309	1191	103	1	104	370	110	41	.303	.384	.557	.941	*3D75/9H64	STL-LAA
10	Carl Yastrzemski	5539	646	59	452	1961	1983	21-43	3308	13992	11988	1816	3419	1844	1845	190	1393	40	13	105	323	168	116	.285	.379	.462	.841	*73D8/H59	BOS
11	Eddie Murray	5397	560	35	504	1977	1997	21-41	3026	12817	11336	1627	3255	1917	1333	222	1516	18	2	128	315	110	43	.287	.359	.476	.836	*3D/H57	BAL-LAD-NYM-CLE-ANA
12	Rafael Palmeiro	5388	585	38	569	1986	2005	21-40	2831	12046	10472	1663	3020	1835	1353	172	1348	87	15	119	232	97	40	.288	.371	.515	.885	*3D7/H98	CHC-BAL-TEX
13	Frank Robinson	5373	528	72	586	1956	1976	20-40	2808	11742	10006	1829	2943	1812	1420	218	1532	198	17	102	270	204	77	.294	.389	.537	.926	97D3H8/5	CIN-BAL-LAD-CAL-CLE
14	Ken Griffey	5271	524	38	630	1989	2010	19-40	2671	11304	9801	1662	2781	1836	1312	246	1779	81	8	102	199	184	69	.284	.370	.538	.907	*89DH/73	SEA-CIN-CHW
15	Dave Winfield	5221	540	88	465	1973	1995	21-43	2973	12358	11003	1669	3110	1833	1216	172	1686	25	19	95	319	223	96	.283	.353	.475	.827	*97D8H/35	SDP-NYY-CAL-TOR-MIN-CLE
16	Adrian Beltre	5199	623	38	466	1998	2018	19-39	2862	11850	10810	1493	3102	1667	832	112	1673	93	14	101	272	120	42	.287	.340	.481	.821	*5D/H64	LAD-SEA-BOS-TEX
17	Cal Ripken	5168	603	44	431	1981	2001	20-40	3001	12883	11551	1647	3184	1695	1129	107	1305	66	10	127	350	36	39	.276	.340	.447	.788	*65/DH	BAL
18	Tris Speaker	5101	792	222	117	1907	1928	19-40	2789	11995	10195	1882	3514	1531	1381		393	103	309			436	157	.345	.428	.500	.928	*8/H3971	BOS-CLE-WSH-PHA
19	Lou Gehrig	5060	534	163	493	1923	1939	20-36	2164	9663	8001	1888	2721	1995	1508		790	45	106		2	102	100	.340	.447	.632	1.080	*3/H976	NYY
20	George Brett	5044	665	137	317	1973	1993	20-40	2707	11625	10349	1583	3154	1596	1096	229	908	33	26	120	235	201	97	.305	.369	.487	.857	*5D3/H796	KCR
21	Mel Ott	5041	488	72	511	1926	1947	17-38	2730	11348	9456	1859	2876	1860	1708		896	64	109		82	89		.304	.414	.533	.947	*95H8/74	NYG

The career record progressed like this:
Honus Wagner 1915-1923 (4,640 to 4,870) passing Cap Anson
Ty Cobb 1924-1961 (5,099 to 5,854)
Stan Musial 1962-1971 (5,998 to 6,134)
Hank Aaron 1972-2018 (6,172 to 6,856)

You can see that Cobb was the  first to 5,000 TB and Musial the first to 6,000 TB.

To achieve 6,000 TB a player such as Mike Trout would have to average 300 TB for 20 years. And he'd still be over 800 behind Aaron. For his first six full seasons (2012-2017) Trout is averaging 313 TB. At that pace Trout would have to play 22 full seasons to catch Aaron.