Once hailed as a strategic mastermind, Detroit’s skipper now ranks dead last in decision success. Data reveals how rigid platooning and questionable bullpen moves are sabotaging the season.
If you've watched Detroit Tigers baseball this season, you've more than likely found yourself wondering why the manager made a certain move that ultimately cost the Tigers a game.
That's because Tigers skipper A.J. Hinch ranks dead last in decision success rate this season, according to a viral graphic making the rounds on social media.
The graphic, shared by Tigers Data on X, measures the success rate of pinch-hitting and bullpen decisions. Looking at the numbers only confirms what Tigers fans have been seeing with their own eyes all season long.
Game after game, Hinch continues to make moves that feel more focused on proving he's the smartest man in the room rather than making the simplest winning decision. At this point, he may be the biggest liability on a team that has had plenty of them throughout the season.
It wasn't always this way.
For the past season and a half, Hinch was praised throughout Detroit for making all the right calls and knowing his roster better than anyone. From his pitching chaos strategy in 2024 to his elite pinch-hitting success rate in 2025, Hinch was viewed as one of the game's best managers while the Tigers sat atop the American League.
Then, during the final month of last season, things began to change.
For Tigers fans, Hinch appeared to lose some of the managerial spark that helped turn the organization around. At the time, much of the blame was placed on the young, inexperienced, and often mismatched roster Detroit was sending onto the field every day.
Even so, the Tigers held onto a playoff spot and advanced to the ALDS before eventually falling to Seattle.
Then came 2026.
The Tigers entered the season with a win-it-all mentality, boasting a loaded pitching rotation and a young lineup with another year of experience under its belt. Injuries hit early and often, and that became the latest excuse for Detroit's struggles.
Now, however, the truth is starting to seep through.
Despite the injuries, it's been poor decision after poor decision from the manager, and the losses have continued to pile up because of it.
To this day, Hinch remains heavily committed to platooning and consistently rides matchups instead of reading the room and adjusting to the game in front of him.
Let's take a look at some of the platoon numbers:
Jahmai Jones vs. LHP: .159/.256/.275
Hao-Yu Lee vs. LHP: .217/.250/.370
Matt Vierling vs. LHP: .274/.365/.452
Wenceel Perez vs. LHP: .231/.259/.451
Colt Keith vs. RHP: .273/.318/.401
Kerry Carpenter vs. RHP: .237/.313/.519
Yet in nearly every close game, with the Tigers looking to add insurance runs or claw their way back into contention, Hinch continues to pinch-hit Jahmai Jones for Kerry Carpenter against left-handed pitching. Jones is hitting just .159 against lefties, and it's a move that simply hasn't produced the results it did early in 2025.
Everyone in Detroit can see it coming.
The Tigers need a big hit, Jones walks to the plate, Carpenter heads to the bench, and fans already know how the story is likely to end.
Even though it's become increasingly obvious that these situations aren't working, Hinch continues to dig his heels in and rely on a formula that was successful 365 days ago but hasn't looked effective for quite some time.
To be fair, some of the platooning has worked. Keith and Vierling are both hitting above .270 in their designated roles. And while Carpenter's numbers are down a bit, you can still feel the momentum shift when he steps into the batter's box. Every at-bat feels like it could change the game.
The moment he's removed for Jones, however, that feeling disappears.
Jones makes an out, Carpenter is gone for the rest of the game, the Tigers fail to add insurance runs, and then a questionable bullpen decision follows. Before long, Detroit finds another way to lose.
That may sound harsh, but ask any Tigers fan.
This has become a recurring theme throughout the season, and it's been incredibly frustrating to watch from a team that entered the year expecting to compete for a pennant and much more.
What's most concerning is that Hinch's decision-making numbers aren't just bad.
They're historically bad compared to his peers.
The bottom five managers in decision success rate are:
26. San Diego — Craig Stammen (-0.82)
27. San Francisco — Tony Vitello (-0.83)
28. Milwaukee — Pat Murphy (-1.02)
29. Texas — Skip Schumaker (-1.28)
30. Detroit — A.J. Hinch (-2.01)
Hinch isn't barely last on the list. He's nearly double the second-worst manager in baseball by this metric.
Something has to change.
The players have to execute better, but Hinch also needs to set aside his stubborn commitment to matchups and manage the game that's unfolding in front of him. At some point, the Tigers need wins more than they need a system.
A 10-game homestand begins Friday against the White Sox, Yankees, and Astros. If Detroit wants to keep its playoff hopes truly alive, the Tigers likely need to win at least eight of those games.
The margin for error is gone.
