What is a GIDP (Grounded Into Double Play)? Definition, Formula, and Example
A GIDP (grounded into double play) occurs when a batter hits a ground ball with a runner on first and fewer than two outs, and the defense records two outs on the play — one of the most rally-killing events in baseball.
GIDP: The Plain-English Definition
GIDP stands for "grounded into double play." It is charged to a batter who hits a ground ball that the defense turns into two outs, with the standard scenario being a runner on first and fewer than two outs: the infielder fields the grounder, gets the force at second, and relays to first for the twin killing. It is the single most deflating offensive play in baseball — it erases a baserunner, ends rallies, and swings win probability more than almost any other common batted-ball outcome.
How GIDP Is Recorded and Measured
The official scorer credits a GIDP when a batter hits a ground ball and the defense records two outs on the play without an error. The batter is charged with an at-bat but no hit; the runner forced out is simply retired. Beyond the raw count, analysts use a rate stat:
GIDP Rate = GIDP ÷ GIDP Opportunities (plate appearances with a runner on first and fewer than two outs)
League-average hitters ground into double plays in roughly 10–11% of opportunities. The inputs are predictable: high ground-ball rate, slow sprint speed, and hitting the ball hard on the ground to the pull side all raise GIDP risk. Right-handed hitters accumulate more GIDPs than lefties because they are a step farther from first base and pull more grounders to the left side of the infield.
Worked Example: The Extremes
The all-time record holder is Albert Pujols, who finished his career with over 400 GIDPs — a product of elite longevity, a ground-ball-heavy later career, and diminished foot speed. In a single season, a slow right-handed slugger can pile up 25–30 GIDPs; Jim Rice once hit into 36 in 1984, an MLB record. At the other extreme, fast left-handed hitters like Ichiro Suzuki routinely posted single-digit GIDP seasons despite constantly putting the ball in play — Ichiro's speed down the line routinely beat the relay throw. A 30-GIDP season versus a 5-GIDP season represents roughly 25 extra outs — nearly a full game's worth of offense erased.
Why GIDP Matters
- Run expectancy: A GIDP with a runner on first and nobody out drops run expectancy by roughly a full run. It is the worst non-strikeout outcome a hitter can produce in that state.
- Lineup construction: Managers avoid batting slow ground-ball hitters behind high-OBP table-setters, because the combination manufactures double plays. This is why plodding sluggers often hit fifth rather than cleanup.
- Player valuation: GIDP costs are baked into wRC+-adjacent value metrics and baserunning runs. Two hitters with identical slash lines can be separated by a win or more of value purely on double-play avoidance.
- Pitching strategy: Sinkers exist to generate GIDPs — a groundball pitcher with runners on base is one pitch away from escaping the inning.
Limitations and Common Misconceptions
Raw GIDP totals are opportunity-driven: a hitter on a team full of on-base machines gets more chances to hit into double plays, so the counting stat punishes players on good offenses. GIDP rate is the fairer measure. Also, GIDP only counts ground balls — a line drive doubled off first base is a double play but not a GIDP. And while GIDPs feel like failures of clutch, they are largely a function of speed and batted-ball profile, not situational choking.
In Legends Deck: Hitter cards carry ground-ball tendency and speed ratings that feed the simulation's double-play engine — slow, grounder-heavy hitters will kill your rallies in-game just like they do in MLB box scores.