The Tigers’ 2026 season has been rough enough without the noise that came with it, but A.J. Hinch found himself in a new kind of spotlight anyway.
On the same day Tarik Skubal was set to face Detroit for the first time since the trade that sent him away, Sports Illustrated’s Karl Rasmussen put out a rundown of managers who could be on the hot seat. Hinch’s name was in the mix, but the read on him was not nearly as dire as the season might suggest.
For now, Rasmussen described Hinch as “seemingly safe.”
“Hinch's job is relatively safe, though it'll be hard for the front office to ignore what's been a largely disappointing season for the Tigers," Rasmussen writes. "... Hinch has another year left on his contract, and it doesn't appear as if the Tigers are seriously considering making a change.”
That doesn’t mean the season has been easy to defend. The Tigers have stumbled through a year headlined by the Skubal trade, and the results have left plenty of room for questions. Still, Rasmussen’s view is that Detroit is not currently moving toward a change in the dugout.
Hinch’s track record is part of why. He has won a Pennant race twice and took home a World Series title with the Houston Astros. Since arriving in Detroit in 2021, the Tigers are 456-487 under his watch.
That overall record is below .500, and it has been dragged down in a big way by the 66-96 finish in 2022. This year has not helped much either.
Rasmussen pointed out that the Tigers’ 2026 season is the second-worst of Hinch’s tenure, with a .466 winning percentage. Only the 2022 season, at .407, has been worse.
Rasmussen also made clear that Hinch’s standing is helped by the weight of his résumé.
“A manager with a lesser pedigree would be less comfortable.”
Even so, the door is not fully closed on a change. The Tigers could still decide to move on after this disappointing season. But the current read is that Hinch has enough security to keep his job, at least for now, and Detroit may be more inclined to give him another shot in 2027 with what it hopes is a revamped roster.
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