Three True Outcomes

Definition

The "three true outcomes" in baseball are said to be a home run, a walk or a strikeout due to the fact that none of the three, with the rare exception of an inside-the-park home run or a strikeout with a dropped third strike, involve the defense beyond the pitcher or the catcher. The phrase, which was coined by baseball writer and historian Christina Kahrl, can also be used as an adjective, calling someone a "three-true-outcomes player." Players with well above-average power, walk rates and strikeout tendencies often bear that description.

Examples

Modern-day examples of this type of player include Joey Gallo and Miguel Sano, while Adam Dunn is among the more famed three-true-outcomes players in recent history. Dunn either walked, homered or struck out in 49.9 percent of his 8,328 Major League plate appearances.