'An instant classic,' Blue Jays and Mariners ALCS had everything fans could hope for

The Toronto Blue Jays and the Seattle Mariners just showed why baseball is the best. The 2025 American League Championship Series went right down to the wire and ended in a dramatic winner-take-all Game 7 that won't soon be forgotten. As much as the final game will stand out and be relived in the memories of fans from both sides, this entire series had everything you could ask for from two teams who are starving for a championship.

There were timely hits, tremendous pitching, controversial plays, tons of second guessing about strategic moves and the big name stars put their stamp on a playoff series. The Blue Jays and the Mariners seasons mirrored each other in certain ways and it was very fitting that these two clubs ended the year in a one-run game that decided the American League championship.

'An instant classic,' Blue Jays and Mariners ALCS had everything fans could hope for

A bleak outlook

The Blue Jays weren't even supposed to be here. Toronto was given just 43% odds (via FanGraphs preseason projections) to make the postseason, let alone win the AL East or the AL pennant.

The Mariners on the other hand were slight favorites to win the AL West, but many expected them to have to stare down two juggernauts in the 2022 World Series Champion Houston Astros and the 2023 World Series Champion Texas Rangers. Sure, the Mariners came in with the "best" odds, but at 56.1% compared to 56.4% and 53.5% of the Rangers and Astros respectively, you can see why there would be some skepticism.

A hot summer

The Blue Jays took over the AL East on July 3 and never looked back. While their lead in the division did place them in a dead heat with the New York Yankees going into the final weekend, the Blue Jays won four straight games against division rivals Boston and Tampa Bay to close out the year with the best record in the American League.

The Mariners were seven games back of the division in July, but turned up the heat and sprinted to the finish with an eight game winning streak in August, and a stretch of 17 wins in 18 games in September to win their division by three games.

The Blue Jays finished 94-68, their best finish in a decade while the Mariners were 90-72. Both teams earned first-round byes and had home field advantage to begin their postseason run.