Raimel Tapia has a ground ball problem

On the surface, Colorado Rockies left fielder Raimel Tapia had a fairly strong 2021 season. He slashed .273/.327/.372 with six home runs, 50 RBI, and 20 stolen bases. He also posted a career low 13.1% strikeout rate—one of the lowest in the league—and a career high 7.5% walk rate. One would assume, then, that all is well and good for the 27-year old after his third year of starting in the Rockies’ outfield.

If you look under hood, you can see one glaring issue in Tapia’s game: his ground-ball rate. When Tapia puts the ball in play, he puts the ball on the ground a staggering 67.4%. This is a good 11.9% higher than the next man up: San Diego’s Eric Hosmer at 55.5%. Tapia hasn’t always been as…