Young Manny Machado is on a record-setting pace.
Via: Patrick Smith / Getty Images
He can't legally drink yet, but Baltimore third baseman Manny Machado is on pace to smash the single-season for doubles, which has stood for 82 years. Back then, 33-year-old Earl Webb of the Boston Red Sox smacked 67 doubles in 151 games — a rate of one every 2.25 games.
Earl Webb popping his collar
Source: blogs.eagletribune.com
Incredibly, Machado has already hit 23 doubles through 51 games this season. That's one every 2.22 games, and he only needs one every 2.52 games to break Webb's single-season mark. (If he wants to break Webb's pace and do it within 154 games, which is how long seasons were back then, Machado needs one double every 2.34 games – still slower than his current rate.)
How's he doing this? Machado's shown an incredible ability to spread his hits to all fields. There's no "smart" way to play defense against his tendencies, because he has no clear tendencies.