Cleveland Indians five-point checklist for the month of June

Stop grounding into double plays

So far this season the Cleveland Indians have logged 369 base hits, the third-fewest in the league. However, they’ve been middle-of-the-pack in terms of walking, getting 164 free passes. All put together, the Tribe have 648 total bases this year, right on track with the New York Yankees. However, where the Tribe have struggled this year and really hurt their chances to score runs is double plays.

In 2021 as a whole, Cleveland has grounded into 43 double plays, tied for the sixth-most in baseball with the San Francisco Giants. As for the month of May, 28 of those 43 occurred, being the third-highest mark in all of baseball for the month. Only the Oakland Athletics and Cincinnati Reds had more with 30 each.

Now, double plays are part of the game and they aren’t always the hitters fault. Sometimes a great pitch can leave no other result if contact is made, but imagine if that number could be trimmed. It won’t automatically translate to runs, but more ducks in the pond would increase the chances of scoring.

The fix is probably easier said than done in the grand scheme, but trying to hit away from the shift might be a good start.