Wheels! Evan Gattis is now second in the league with eight triples

Hitting a triple isn’t easy. The ball has to be hit in just the right place, and the batter has to have some speed. 

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Looking over the triple leaders from the past couple years proves that speed is crucial. Dee Gordon led the way in 2014, Denard Span did it in 2013 and Angel Pagan led the league in 2012. Jose Reyes and Shane Victorino tied for the league-lead in 2011. All of those guys have one thing in common: They can fly around the bases.

Looking at the 2015 leaders should produce the same results.

Wait a minute, something seems … off here. What could it be?

That’s right, Evan Gattis of the Houston Astros is now tied for second in the league in triples. Evan Gattis, the guy known for hitting 450 foot bombs, is also as fleet of foot as they come. Evan Gattis, who is listed at 6-4, 260 pounds, has hit eight triples this season.

His glorious eighth three-bagger came Tuesday night against the San Francisco Giants. With Madison Bumgarner on the mound, Gattis managed to crush a ball out to deep left center field. Gregor Blanco attempted to make a catch at the wall, but couldn’t hang on to the ball. That allowed Gattis to cruise into third without a strong throw.

The play was not ruled an error, as it would have been a tough catch to make in the first place. Thus, Gattis was awarded with his eighth triple of the year. 

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Next time you’re out at an Astros game, don’t be surprised to see Gattis giving pre-game pointers to Jose Altuve about stealing bases. Gattis’ speed may not have translated to that part of his game just yet, but we have a feeling that’s coming next.

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Chris Cwik is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Chris_Cwik