didn’t have anything to prove when he decided to come out of retirement and manage the Rangers ahead of the 2023 season.

He’d already won three World Series rings with the Giants by that point, cementing a legacy that seemed destined to lead him to the Hall of Fame. But Bochy didn’t stop there. He continued to burnish his credentials by winning a fourth World Series title in his first year in Texas, a crowning achievement that should place him in the pantheon of baseball’s greatest managers.

Bochy became just the sixth manager to win at least four World Series titles and the first to accomplish the feat with two different teams. His 2,252 wins rank sixth all time among managers; the five ahead of him -- Connie Mack, Tony La Russa, John McGraw, Bobby Cox and Joe Torre -- are all in the Hall of Fame.

It might not be long until Bochy joins that illustrious group in Cooperstown, as he’s among the eight candidates on the Contemporary Baseball Era ballot for managers, executives and umpires. The list includes two other greats with Giants ties -- Dusty Baker and Brian Sabean -- as well as Sandy Alderson, Joe Maddon, Lou Piniella, Ted Turner and Bill White.

The eight candidates will be voted on by a 16-member panel consisting of Hall of Fame players, Major League executives, media members and historians. Nominees must receive at least 12 votes (75%) to be inducted, with the results of the Class of 2027 ballot scheduled to be announced on Dec. 6.

“It’s unthinkable for something like this to happen,” said Bochy, 71, during a recent interview with MLB Network Radio on Sirius XM. “Unless you’re one of those great Hall of Fame players, it’s not something that ever crosses your mind. It really is something that’s blown me away. The other guys on the ballot, I have a close connection to so many of them. For this to even be talked about is something I’m just so humbled about. It’s incredible that something like this has happened for me.”

The son of an Army Sergeant Major, Bochy spent parts of nine seasons in the big leagues as a backup catcher for the Astros, Mets and Padres. Shortly after his playing career ended in 1987, Bochy landed his first managerial gig with Rookie-level Spokane and quickly settled into his second act in the dugout.

"I loved it," Bochy said in 2019. "I didn't know I would ever get to the Major Leagues. I didn't look at it like that's where I was headed. If I would have stayed in the Minor Leagues as a manager, I probably would have been happy. That's how much I loved it."

In 1995, a 39-year-old Bochy received his first opportunity to manage in the Majors with the Padres. The following year, he earned National League Manager of the Year honors after steering San Diego to its first NL West title since ‘84. Bochy ultimately spent 12 years at the helm of the Padres, leading the club to four division titles and the ‘98 NL pennant before leaving to join the Giants ahead of the 2007 season.

In San Francisco, Bochy furthered his reputation as a savvy tactician with a gift for bullpen management. He pushed all the right buttons during the Giants’ three World Series runs in 2010, ‘12 and ‘14, becoming only the fifth manager to lead a team to three titles in a five-year span. The Giants’ championship in ‘10 was their first since moving west to San Francisco for the 1958 season, putting the franchise back on top for the first time since ‘54.

Bochy’s signature postseason move came in Game 7 of the 2014 World Series against the Royals, when he handed the ball to star left-hander Madison Bumgarner, who came out of the bullpen to deliver five scoreless innings and carry the Giants over the finish line. Bochy’s decision to ride with Bumgarner -- who was pitching on two days’ rest -- was emblematic of his ability to secure buy-in from players and trust his gut on the biggest stages.

Bochy managed the Giants for 13 seasons from 2007-19 before deciding to step down and move into an advisory role in the front office. Still, he was coaxed out of retirement by the Rangers, who brought him on board as their new skipper in October 2022.

Bochy put the finishing touches on his legendary career by guiding Texas to its first World Series title in 2023, snapping a 52-year championship drought for the franchise. After his three-year run with the Rangers ended, Bochy returned to the Giants as a special advisor to baseball operations in ‘25.

Overall, Bochy led his teams to five pennants and recorded a 57-37 (.606) mark in the postseason. He’s the only manager in MLB history to win 900-plus games with multiple clubs, tallying a franchise-record 951 victories with San Diego and 1,052 with San Francisco, the second most in Giants history behind McGraw.

Given the scope of his accomplishments, it should only be a matter of time until Bochy takes his rightful place in Cooperstown.