Legendary Florida Marlins, Detroit Tigers Manager Jim Leyland on Hall of Fame Ballot

Jim Leyland, who won several division titles with the Pirates and Tigers and a World Series with the Marlins, could get inducted into the Hall of Fame this winter.

A decade after his storied career in the dugout came to a close, Jim Leyland is being considered for one of baseball's highest honors.

The Contemporary Baseball Era Committee of the National Baseball Hall of Fame revealed its eight-person ballot on Thursday, and Leyland made the cut. As a result, the 78-year-old World Series champion is up for induction this winter.

Leyland was the manager of the Pittsburgh Pirates from 1986 to 1996, the Florida Marlins from 1997 to 1998, the Colorado Rockies in 1999 and the Detroit Tigers from 2006 to 2013.

The Pirates went to the NLCS three straight seasons from 1990 to 1992 under Leyland, who won Manager of the Year in 1990 and 1992. Those teams featured future stars such as Barry Bonds, Bobby Bonilla, Tim Wakefield, all of whom Leyland and his staff helped develop.

Leyland left Pittsburgh as the club entered a rebuild in the late 1990s, joining the Marlins in 1997. He led Florida to a World Series championship in his very first season there, but resigned yet again when ownership dismantled the team's core over the ensuing year.

From there, Leyland had one year with the Rockies, which ended in a last-place finish. He stepped away from the team at the end of 1999 and became a scout for the St. Louis Cardinals.

Leyland was lured back to the dugout when the Detroit had an opening in 2006. He had previously spent 18 years in the Tigers' farm system – first as a player, then as a manager.

The Tigers went to the World Series in Leyland's first year in charge, resulting in a third Manager of the Year honor, but they lost to the Cardinals. He remained Detroit's manager for eight years, winning three consecutive AL Central crowns from 2011 to 2013 to close out his managerial career.

Detroit made it to the ALCS in all three of those seasons, returning to the World Series in 2012 before losing to the San Francisco Giants. Miguel Cabrera, Prince Fielder, Victor Martinez, Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer made up the crew of stars Leyland had to work with that time around.

Leyland ranks 18th all-time with 1,769 wins as manager. Of the 17 managers ahead of his, 12 are already in the Hall of Fame and three were still active this season.

Outside of his MLB resume, Leyland was also the manager for Team USA at the World Baseball Classic in 2017. The Americans won the tournament, making Leyland the only manager ever to win a World Series and a WBC.

The hall of fame cycles through which era and which pool of honorees will be considered each year, on top of the annual traditional Baseball Writers Association voting process. Managers, executives and umpires from the Contemporary Era – since 1980 – are the topic of discussion this year, while Classic Baseball contributors will take center stage in 2024 and Contemporary Baseball Players will have their shot in 2025.

Joining Leyland on this year's ballot are Lou Piniella, Joe West, Davey Johnson, Cito Gatson, Ed Montague, Hank Peters and Bill White.

The Historical Overview Committee, which is comprised of 10 baseball historians, determined his year's ballot. Any candidate who receives 75% or more of the vote from the Contemporary Era Committee will be inducted into the Hall of Fame on July 21, 2024.

The vote will take place on Dec. 3 at the Winter Meetings, and results will be announced that night at 7:30 p.m. ET on MLB Network.

Follow Fastball on FanNation on social media

Continue to follow our Fastball on FanNation coverage on social media by LIKING us on Facebook and by following us on Twitter @FastballFN.

You can also subscribe to "The Payoff Pitch" podcast on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.