A.J. Hinch

Manager of the Detroit Tigers; led the Houston Astros to the 2017 World Series title.

Andrew Jay Hinch (born May 15, 1974) is an American professional baseball coach and former catcher who is the manager of the Detroit Tigers of Major League Baseball (MLB). As a member of Team USA, Hinch won a bronze medal at the 1996 Summer Olympics before playing in MLB for the Oakland Athletics (1998–2000), Kansas City Royals (2001–2002), Detroit Tigers (2003), and Philadelphia Phillies (2004). Born in Iowa, Hinch attended Midwest City High School in Oklahoma, and then Stanford University, where he played college baseball for the Cardinal.

In the 1996 MLB draft, the Athletics selected him in the third round, and he appeared in 350 games over seven major league seasons. Following his playing career, Hinch managed the Arizona Diamondbacks from May 2009 to July 2010, and became vice president of professional scouting for the San Diego Padres from September 2010 to August 2014. Hinch joined the Houston Astros as manager from 2015 through 2019, guiding the club through one of the most successful periods in franchise history.

They won the 2017 World Series, two American League (AL) pennants, and over 100 regular season wins each from 2017 to 2019, including a club-record 107 in the latter. Due to being implicated in the Astros' sign stealing scandal the following year, Hinch was suspended by MLB for one year and fired by the team. Prior to the 2021 season, the Tigers hired Hinch as manager, and he guided the club to their next playoff appearance in 2024.

Quick Facts

Team: Detroit Tigers
Position: Catcher; Manager
Bats: Right
Born: 15 May 1974
Birthplace: Waverly, Iowa, U.S.
Debut league: MLB
Debut date: April 1
Debut year: 1998

Lore & Background

Hinch lived in Nashua, Iowa, until he was eight, when he moved to Oklahoma. He is a 1992 graduate of Midwest City High School in Midwest City, Oklahoma, where, as a senior, he was the 1992 National Gatorade Player of the Year in baseball. He was drafted in the second round of the Major League Baseball draft but elected to attend Stanford University, where he was a third-round pick after his junior year in 1995. He decided to return to school and was again a third-round pick as a senior in 1996. At Stanford he joined Delta Tau Delta International Fraternity. Hinch won a bronze medal for the United States at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics and was named to the 1998 Topps All-Star Rookie Team. Hinch is married to his wife, Erin Hinch, with two daughters Haley and Kaitlin.

Reader's Guide

Hinch was selected by the Oakland Athletics in the third round of the 1996 Major League Baseball draft. He signed with the Athletics in June 1996. He debuted with the Athletics in 1998 and remained with the team through the 2000 season. In the 2000–01 offseason, Hinch was traded to the Kansas City Royals with Ángel Berroa as part of a 3-team trade.

Hinch was released by the Royals after the 2002 season. He signed as a minor league free agent with the Cleveland Indians, but was purchased by the Detroit Tigers from the Indians in March 2003. He signed with the Philadelphia Phillies for the 2004 season, splitting the year between the majors and Triple-A. He spent all of 2005 with the Phillies' Triple-A affiliate before retiring. In an eight-season major league career, Hinch had a .219 batting average with 32 home runs and 112 runs batted in in 350 games.

After the 2005 season, the Arizona Diamondbacks hired Hinch as their manager of minor league operations. In August 2006, the Diamondbacks named Hinch director of player development. Hinch was named manager of the Arizona Diamondbacks on May 8, 2009, replacing Bob Melvin, despite never having managed or coached a team at any level. At age 34 years and 357 days, Hinch became the youngest person to be named manager of a Major League team since Eric Wedge (34 years, 275 days).

Hinch, along with general manager Josh Byrnes, was fired from the Diamondbacks on July 1, 2010, following a 31–48 start to the 2010 season. Overall, Hinch compiled an 89–123 record in 212 games; his .420 winning percentage ranks as the lowest for a non-interim manager in Diamondbacks history. The San Diego Padres hired Hinch as vice president of professional scouting on September 21, 2010. He reunited with Byrnes, who was the Padres' senior vice president of baseball operations and in 2011 would become their general manager.

Hinch served as interim GM in 2014 along with Omar Minaya and Fred Uhlman, Jr. He resigned from the position on August 5, 2014. Hinch was named manager of the Houston Astros on September 29, 2014, replacing Bo Porter, who had been fired on September 1, 2014. In the 2015 season, Hinch led the Astros to an 86–76 record and a wild card berth. It was Houston's first playoff appearance since their 2005 World Series run.