AJ Hinch's Tigers run is making everyone forget about cheating Astros days

The Tigers' tight, extra-innings win over the Rockies on Wednesday night in Colorado gave them a 23-13 record, tied for second best in the majors with the Padres, but it also marked manager AJ Hinch's 900th career win. Hinch is the 75th manager in MLB history to reach that benchmark and joins four other active managers in Bruce Bochy, Terry Francona, Bob Melvin, and Bud Black.

It was Hinch's 330th win with the Tigers over five seasons, and Hinch has become adored in Detroit during his tenure. In 2023, he led the Tigers to their best finish in the AL Central since 2016 (though they still notched a losing record), and then masterminded their August/September run last year. Their 23-13 start this season is thanks, in large part, to some of Hinch's philosophies really taking root.

However, Hinch's hiring wasn't initially met with this level of enthusiasm. He was coming off of a yearlong suspension after his involvement in the Astros' sign-stealing scandal, a dark cloud that still hangs over members of the 2017-2019 Astros. Hinch was neither the ringleader behind the particular circus nor supportive of it, but he took the fall along with GM Jeff Luhnow for failing to put a stop to it.

AJ Hinch just picked up his 900th managerial win, but the majority of them are from his controversial Astros days

MLB's findings implicated then-bench coach Alex Cora and then-player Carlos Beltrán as primary masterminds behind the scheme; Cora stepped away from his managerial role with the Red Sox and was suspended, and Beltrán lost his first managerial opportunity with the Mets. MLB's report found that Hinch openly disapproved of the strategy and once even destroyed the computer setup used to decode signs, but the league decided that wasn't enough to absolve him of wrongdoing.

Of course, Cora and Hinch bounced back. Cora was rehired by the Red Sox basically as soon as his suspension was over, and Hinch came to the Tigers with the hopes of putting the controversy behind him.

Hinch's success with the Tigers isn't negated by his sketchy past, but it'll always be true that over 200 of those 900 career managerial wins have an asterisk next to them. Nonetheless, as long as things stay aboveboard for the Tigers while Hinch is at the helm, he can almost fully repair his reputation, especially if Detroit goes on an improbable run.