What is a Double Play? Definition, Scoring, and Example
A double play is a single defensive sequence that records two outs on one batted ball or play, most commonly a ground ball turned shortstop-to-second-to-first.
What a Double Play Is
A double play is a defensive sequence that records two outs during one continuous play. The classic version is the ground-ball double play: with a runner on first and fewer than two outs, the batter hits a grounder, the defense forces the runner at second, then relays the ball to first to retire the batter. Fans call it "turning two." It is the single most damaging non-strikeout outcome a hitter can produce, because it erases a baserunner and a plate appearance in one swing.
How a Double Play Is Scored
Double plays are recorded in the scorebook by the fielding-position numbers in the order the ball is handled. The positions are numbered 1 (pitcher), 2 (catcher), 3 (first base), 4 (second base), 5 (third base), 6 (shortstop), 7 (left field), 8 (center field), 9 (right field). A grounder to short that goes to second and then first is a 6-4-3 double play; a grounder to second handled at the bag and thrown to first is 4-6-3; a grounder to third is 5-4-3.
Not every double play is a grounder. A line-drive double play (the fielder catches the liner, then doubles a runner off a base) and a strike-'em-out, throw-'em-out (catcher retires a strikeout victim, then throws out a stealing runner, scored 2-6 or 2-4) also count. For hitters, the relevant statistic is GIDP — grounded into double play — which counts only force-out double plays the batter hit into.
Worked Example
Albert Pujols is baseball's all-time GIDP leader with roughly 426 over his career, passing Cal Ripken Jr. (350). The single-season record belongs to Jim Rice, who grounded into 36 double plays in 1984. Those numbers are partly a byproduct of greatness — Pujols and Rice batted in run-producing slots for two decades with runners constantly on base, which is precisely the situation that creates double-play chances. A typical league-average regular grounds into 10-15 double plays per season.
Why It Matters
For front offices, a high GIDP rate flags slow runners and ground-ball-heavy contact profiles — a concern in lineup construction, since stacking slow pull hitters invites rally-killing twos. For fantasy and DFS players, GIDP is a hidden tax on RBI opportunities. Defensively, double-play efficiency (how often a team converts available chances) separates good middle-infield duos from great ones; turning two on a sharp grounder requires elite footwork, transfer speed, and arm strength up the middle.
Limitations and Misconceptions
GIDP is heavily context-dependent: a hitter cannot ground into a double play without a runner on first and fewer than two outs, so the stat partly measures opportunity, not skill. It is not the same as a fielder's choice, where only one out is recorded. And "double play" describes the defensive result, not the batter's intent — a hard-hit grounder right at the shortstop is bad luck, while a slow chopper can beat the relay.
Related Terms
- What is a fielder's choice?
- What is sprint speed?
- What is ground-ball rate?
- What is arm strength?
- What is the infield fly rule?
In Legends Deck, double plays emerge from the simulation rather than a single rating: a card's ground-ball tendency, the batter's sprint speed, and the defenders' arm strength and fielding ratings combine to determine whether a grounder with a man on first becomes a 6-4-3 or beats the throw. Slow, pull-heavy power cards quietly cost their managers runs by hitting into twos — just like the real thing.