HOUSTON – Houston Astros manager A.J. Hinch finished second in voting for American League Manager of the Year voting. Rangers manager Jeff Banister won the award.
Hinch received eight first-place votes, 13-second place votes and three third-place votes. Twins manager Paul Molitor finished third in the voting.
Hinch guided the Astros to an 86-76 finish and a berth in the American League Division Series in what was his first year managing the Astros. The Astros made the playoffs for the first time in ten seasons.
The Astros posted a 16-win improvement over the 2014 season (70-92), which is the largest improvement for a first-year manager in franchise history.
In franchise history, the Astros have had three BBWAA Manager of the Year winners (Bill Virdon-1980, Hal Lanier-1986, Larry Dierker-1998).
Hinch was previously with the Arizona Diamondbacks from 2009-2010. He worked as the vice president of professional scouting for the San Diego Padres in 2010 before accepting the Astros manager job on Sept. 1, 2014.