AJ Hinch’s Optimistic Postseason Comments Ring True Despite Tigers’ Epic Collapse
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Despite the fact that things got a lot more interesting than the Detroit Tigers would have liked, they still have a chance to win the American League Central with just one game left to play in the 2025 regular season.
Still, even with a shot to take the division crown by beating the Boston Red Sox on Sunday and hoping for a Cleveland Guardians' loss, having blown a 15.5-game lead in the division stings. A lot.
One could be forgiven for not being enthusiastic about Detroit's chances in October. The team has certainly limped into the playoffs, and some might even argue that their terrible stretch that included eight straight losses between September 16 and September 24 means that they don't even belong at the big dance.
It would be easy for the club, filled with young and ascending players, to have its confidence shaken. However, manager AJ Hinch had some optimistic comments that not only ring true, but could serve as some inspiration for the squad.
Per Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press, Hinch said, "Everybody is going to start 0-0 when the games start. I'm going to sell that a lot because of the way we've come. ... Our guys earned this celebration, and because of how good we were for a majority of the season, we were able to withstand a tough stretch."
AJ Hinch Makes Some Salient Points As the Tigers Clinch Playoff Berth
Hinch, who has been through his fair share of playoff chases and deep postseason runs from his time with the Houston Astros, is right on multiple levels.
First is the reset. Going from where the Tigers were as a team that had the best record in baseball to a club that barely snuck into the playoffs is a jarring reality, but one that ultimately means nothing once the calendar turns to October.
All steaks, losing and winning, have a start point and an end point, and if Detroit is able to make the pivot from losing to winning when the games count the most, its regular-season record will be irrelevant.
Furthermore, he's exactly right when he says they've earned this celebration because of how good they were for the majority of the season. In fact, for the youngsters on the team who were a feel-good story with an early playoff exit in 2024, this should serve as foundational confidence that when they are clicking, they can be as good as anyone in the sport.
Most importantly, actually making it and overcoming the obstacles while the rest of the world was waiting for the other shoe to drop can be a source of inspiration that can galvanize the Tigers.
Things are already starting to break their way again. In rallying for a 2-1 win against the Red Sox on Saturday, Detroit was able to secure its playoff spot, meaning that the club can now shuffle the rotation. This will ensure that presumptive Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal is lined up to start Game 1 of the wild card round, as opposed to being called upon to start a must-win final game of the season.
That alone is huge, but all these factors put together make Hinch seem very wise in his expression of optimism in the face of what could've been an all-time embarrassment.
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Based in the New York City area, Stephen has been a passionate sports fan since childhood, with baseball having always had a special place in his heart. Stephen took the plunge into freelance sports writing back in 2024, covering the New York Jets and the Brooklyn Nets for empiresportsmedia.com. Since then, Stephen served as Co-Site Expert for FanSided’s Los Angeles Angels site Halo Hangout and hosted the Bleav in Angels Podcast. He then moved on to cover a wide array of teams across FanSided’s MLB division. Stephen also covers the New York Jets for The Jet Press and the San Francisco 49ers for Niner Noise and now provides his baseball knowledge and expertise to MLB On SI. When Stephen is not writing, he enjoys spending time with his young daughter, attending concerts, cooking, and wondering if the New York Jets will ever win a Super Bowl in his lifetime.