The Detroit Tigers have emerged as one of the teams to beat in the American League. They hold an AL Central-leading 83-62 record, putting them 8.5 games ahead of the Cleveland Guardians.
They are now in the driver’s seat to make a deep postseason run. Last season, they made their first postseason run since the 2014 season but lost to the Guardians in the ALDS.
Detroit has surpassed expectations this season, and much of this falls on Hinch. He has made exceptional in-game decisions and could take home an award he has yet to win during his managerial tenure.
A.J. Hinch is leading the way to win the AL’s Manager of the Year Award
ESPN’s Bradford Doolittle came out with an article predicting MLB’s end-of-season awards. He had some interesting tasks in the piece, but one that does not seem far-fetched is A.J. Hinch winning the American League’s Manager of the Year Award, which has alluded him.
“Hinch’s Tigers will land that top seed and give him the leg up in the awards balloting. It would be his first Manager of the Year Award after five previous top-five finishes in the balloting.”
Doolittle predicts that the Tigers will land the top overall seed in the AL bracket. By doing that, he believes that should secure Hinch’s MOTY Award, something that he has finished in the top five multiple times during his career.
To do that, Detroit must end the season strong. They are currently tied with the Toronto Blue Jays for the best record in the American League.
