Juan Soto, on the way to his 2020 NL batting title, grounded into one double play over 47 games and 196 plate appearances.
Back in 2019, the then-20-year-old slugger hit into just 10 double plays over 150 games and 659 PAs.
In 2018, it was nine in 116 games and 494 PAs.
Through 55 games and 229 PAs before Friday’s game against the New York Mets, Soto had already hit into 10 double plays on the season in 2021, tied for third in the majors in GIDPs.
“He’s been going through stretches where he smokes balls but they’re on the ground,” his manager, Davey Martinez, said after a 1 for 4 day for Soto at the plate in Wednesday’s game, which saw the outfielder send a grounder back to the mound to start an inning-ending 1-6-3 in his first at bat, “and they’re all over 100 MPH, and — but we try to tell him just stay through the ball a little longer, try to stay up the middle, use the left side of the field and you’ll start driving the ball.