Detroit Tigers manager A.J. Hinch has now missed the playoffs in four of his six seasons in Detroit. The Tigers got there in 2024 and 2025, but they were officially eliminated from playoff contention on Sunday, in a rain-soaked 8-1 loss to the Chicago White Sox.

Before Monday’s opener of a three-game series against the Washington Nationals, Hinch gathered his players and went through what happened over the course of the season. He does it every year at this point, telling reporters he wants “the day marked on the calendar when you’re mathematically eliminated.” With five games left in the 2026 MLB season, Detroit is 74-83.

A.J. Hinch Reveals What He Said in the Team Meeting

Brad Galli of the Brad Galli Show covered Hinch’s press conference on Monday. Hinch laid out what the meeting was about and said,

“As we look back, despite all the ups and downs and roller coaster that this season went on, we fell seven days short. There are things that we could have done better to alleviate things as a group. We talked about that.”

There is no doubt the Tigers could have done things better this season. Detroit is hitting .241 as a team, 21st in the majors. The catch is that the two clubs still fighting for the AL Central are worse at the plate. Cleveland ranks 24th at .238 and Chicago ranks 26th at .234, and one of them is going to win the division anyway.

Hinch and the Tigers Have to Be Better in 2027

Hinch and company will have to be better in 2027, if there is a 2027 season. Baseball’s collective bargaining agreement expires Dec. 1, and a lockout is widely expected. He could very well be on the hot seat next season, because the Tigers have now missed the playoffs four times in six years under him. He gets a pass for this one after back-to-back postseason trips in 2024 and 2025. If things go south in 2027, the questions about his future start for real.