The MLB regular season got underway on March 20 with the Dodgers and Padres facing off in the Seoul Series. The rest of the league will begin regular season play on March 28. The past few weeks we have looked at preseason candidates for various league awards. Here are some candidates for AL Manager of the Year.

Bruce Bochy, Rangers

Bochy has somehow only won this award one time, winning it way back in 1996 with the Padres. Those who vote for this award often reward managers who take teams on unexpected trips to the postseason and sometimes overlook managers who are just maintaining success. You can’t convince me he shouldn’t have won at least one Manager of the Year award during his tenure with the Giants, a tenure that included three World Series titles.

I do think a manager that takes a projected cellar dweller to the postseason, should be a strong candidate. But if Bochy leads this team to a strong regular season with let’s say 95 plus wins, he should be considered. The fact that the Rangers won it all last year shouldn’t change that in my eyes.

AJ Hinch, Tigers

Hinch is the type of candidate I referenced above. The Tigers haven’t made the postseason since 2014, and haven’t finished with a winning record since 2016. He fits the criteria that voters usually love, should the Tigers be a playoff team in 2024.

Detroit doesn’t necessarily have a great roster, but their division is probably the worst in baseball. I’d guesstimate it will take around 88 wins to win the AL Central, which the Tigers doing doesn’t seem all that wild to me. If Hinch and company can pull it off, he could win this award.

Brandon Hyde, Orioles

Hyde won last season, and it’s rare to see a repeat winner. But given where the Orioles were just a few seasons ago, I wouldn’t rule it out. Jackson Holiday and Adley Rutschmen are two of the brightest young stars in the game, and Hyde’s pitching staff should finish in the top half of the league in most statistical categories.

Other candidates: Joe Espada, Astros. Kevin Cash, Rays. John Schnieder, Blue Jays.

Agree? Disagree? Email lservello@www.clermontsun.com