Hinch finishes 3rd in AL Manager of the Year voting
This browser does not support the video element.
In the end, the voting results for American League Manager of the Year looked a lot like the AL Central standings. That left Tigers manager A.J. Hinch in third, but it didn’t leave him feeling any less satisfied about his season or his team’s incredible run.
“I love this job,” Hinch told MLB Network before the announcement. “I love the people that I come to work with every day and work for. There’s 30 of us, and it is a great group of guys that all have this common, shared belief on what you’ve gotta do to try to get your team ready.
“I’m so proud of our team and our year and our coaches and our resilience, and our ability to play the whole schedule and see what happens after you post 162 times. That led us to the playoffs. It’s been our identity. And as the manager, when you see that flourish, you’re just so proud for so many people and enjoy every minute coming to the ballpark.”
Cleveland’s Stephen Vogt won the award by taking 27 of 30 first-place votes (142 total points), and he was the only manager selected in the top three on all 30 ballots. Kansas City’s Matt Quatraro finished second with 73 points.
This browser does not support the video element.
Hinch received one first-place vote, six for second place and 18 for third to finish with 41 points. While Hinch remains in search for his first such award, he has his third top-three finish. He was the runner-up with Houston in 2015 and placed third in '17, when the Astros won the World Series.
Hinch is the first Tigers manager to receive a first-place vote since Hall of Famer Jim Leyland placed second to Tampa Bay’s Joe Maddon in 2012. Leyland remains the Tigers’ last Manager of the Year, having won the honor in 2006.
Votes from members of the Baseball Writers' Association of America were due before the start of the playoffs, so the Tigers’ breathtaking postseason run -- taking them to within a game of the ALCS -- wasn’t taken into account. Still, for Hinch to end up here would’ve seemed like insanity when Detroit was languishing under .500 in early August, having traded away many of its veterans at the Trade Deadline in July.
This browser does not support the video element.
The Tigers, challenged by Hinch to figure out what kind of team they wanted to be and decide whether to buy into his plan to win games, went on a 31-11 tear to crash the Wild Card race at the division-rival Twins’ expense. Minnesota manager Rocco Baldelli received one third-place vote.
Hinch’s in-game moves along the way drew widespread praise, from using relievers as openers ahead of young starters to a faithful use of pinch-hitters and platoons to seek advantages in at-bats. Hinch worked in young players in positions where they had a better chance to succeed, none more so than Trey Sweeney, who blossomed from a Dodgers prospect in the Jack Flaherty trade to Detroit’s primary shortstop once Javier Báez suffered a season-ending right hip injury. Pitchers bought into different roles outside of their comfort zones, believing they were put in a favorable spot.
This browser does not support the video element.
The Tigers played well above their experience level down the stretch, and they played well in tight situations all season. Detroit led MLB with 31 one-run victories in the regular season, and the club posted 36 comeback wins, according to Baseball Reference. The Tigers ran the bases as aggressively and effectively as any team in the Majors over the final two months, igniting an offense that didn’t boast the power of other contenders.