Browsing: postseason

Oct 22, 2025, 08:56 PM ET

NEW YORK — Major League Baseball is having its most-viewed postseason in the U.S. since 2017 through the League Championship Series.

Viewership is averaging 4.48 million according to MLB and Nielsen, a 13% increase over last year.

Most of the gains are due to the first two rounds. The AL Championship Series on Fox, Fox Sports 1, Fox Deportes and streaming averaged 4.99 million viewers across the seven games.

That is even with last year’s ALCS on TNT Sports, where the New York Yankees beat the Cleveland Guardians in five games.

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Fox and TNT Sports alternate leagues each season.

TNT Sports was hurt by the Los Angeles Dodgers posting a four-game sweep over the Milwaukee Brewers, and Shohei Ohtani’s epic three-homer game and 10-strikeout performance in Game 4 taking place on a Friday night and averaging 3.51 million.

The series averaged 4.7 million, a 17% decline from last year’s six-game series between the New York Mets and Dodgers on Fox.

The Toronto Blue Jays’ 4-3 victory over the Seattle Mariners in Game 7 averaged 9.03 million, making it the most-watched ALCS game in eight years. The audience peaked at 12.35 million for the ninth inning.

MLB has also seen substantial growth in Canada and Japan.

Toronto’s victory putting it in the World Series for the first time since 1993 averaged 6 million in Canada and was the most-watched Blue Jays game on Sportsnet in Canada.

Ohtani’s outstanding performance in Game 4 averaged 10.26 million viewers in Japan, the second-most watched LCS game in the country’s history. The 16-hour time difference between Tokyo and Los Angeles meant the game was taking place on Saturday morning in Japan.

The NLCS averaged an LCS record 7.34 million in Japan, a 26% increase over last year as fans continue to follow Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Roki Sasaki in record numbers.

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It’s arguable — it would be regardless, there are too many to choose from — but at least by one unit of measurement, he’s already there. With his pennant-winning three-run homer in Game 7 of the 2025 ALCS, Springer raised his career championship win probability added (cWPA) to 90.8, surpassing David Freese (87.2 cWPA) for the highest in postseason history.

Win probability added is pretty self-explanatory (and more easily visualized). The more conceptual championship WPA factors in the importance of an individual game to a team’s odds of winning the World Series. Springer’s home run took the Blue Jays’ win expectancy from roughly 37% to 77%, giving him .395 WPA (a new ALCS record) on the play. Because it came in the seventh inning of a win-or-go-home final game of a League Championship Series, it also improved Toronto’s odds of winning the 2025 World Series by an estimated 19.7% (19.7 cWPA).

On this scale, you’ll notice that one World Series championship is effectively worth 100 cWPA. And since cWPA is a cumulative stat, Springer, now at 22.3 cWPA this postseason, could definitely end the Blue Jays’ current run in triple digits. After all, his last October meeting with the Dodgers helped to produce his personal best single-postseason cWPA (50.6) in 2017, which still ranks seventh all time.

We’ll be the first to acknowledge that emotions run high in October, and news of one club’s postseason legend overtaking another’s isn’t always welcome. Context is important, and Springer’s been at this for a very long time. As a piece of the Astros’ young core in the late-2010s, he was on hand for the first four of what would be seven consecutive ALCS berths for Houston from 2017-23, and he earned World Series MVP honors in 2017 after going 11-for-29 (.379) with three doubles and five home runs.

Now in his 12th MLB season, Springer ranks 22nd all time in postseason games played (78, tied with Corey Seager) and 16th in plate appearances (362, between David Ortiz and Albert Pujols). Freese, by comparison, retired with 230 postseason plate appearances; even Mickey Mantle, who ranks third all time with 83.5 cWPA, “only” had 273, given that “the playoffs” and “the World Series” were still interchangeable terms at the time.

All of this to say, Cardinals fans, that Freese’s 2011 postseason heroics — and the 84.5 cWPA they produced — remain in a league of their own.

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Image credit:
Chris Bassitt (Photo by Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images)

As MLB heads to the World Series, I canâ€t help but spend a moment thinking about the plight of an old baseball mainstay—the durable No. 4 starter.

From April to September, teams need these reliable rotation options to soak up innings with ERAs and FIPs that hover around league average. Without them, bullpens implode, and the season gets very long.

But then October arrives, and they disappear. Teams need their No. 4 starters to get to the playoffs, yes. But it appears teams have very much decided they are best off not using them when the postseason actually arrives.

Is there any position more valuable during the regular season and less relevant in October?

Over the past eight seasons, Chris Bassitt has been a paragon of durability and effectiveness. The 36-year-old righthander was once again an extremely effective No. 4 starter this year for the Blue Jays, going 11-9, 3.96 in 31 starts this year. His ERA+ was 108. His FIP was a perfectly respectable 4.01.

Successful teams need players like Bassitt. He threw 170.1 innings this season, marking the fourth-straight year he’s topped the 170-inning threshold. Heâ€s made at least 25 starts in every full-length season since 2019. Heâ€s durable and effective, as his 83-65, 3.64 career record in 1,278.2 innings illustrates. Heâ€s been worth every penny of the three-year, $63 million contract the Blue Jays signed him to in 2023.

But now that the postseason is here, heâ€s someone the Blue Jays have used very rarely.

Bassitt did get his moment in the sun on Monday, as he threw a scoreless eighth inning to help the Blue Jays finish off the Mariners in Game 7. It was only his second appearance of the postseason. He had previously been left off Toronto’s ALDS roster and then added back for the ALCS. After finishing second on the team in innings pitched during the regular season, heâ€s thrown just 2.2 innings in the playoffs.

Bassitt was vital for the Blue Jays in getting to October, but now that the do-or-die games are here, heâ€s been largely sidelined while rookie Trey Yesavage has stepped up.

Heâ€s not alone. Will Warren threw the third-most innings for the Yankees this season, but he made only one (rough) appearance for them in the postseason. Taijuan Walker, meanwhile, made 21 starts for the Phillies during the regular season followed by just one two-out appearance in the playoffs.

This used to be the world of the No. 5 starter. In the past, fifth starters would serve reliably all season and then get shuffled to a very modest role come the postseason. But nowadays, teams bounce around between using fifth starters and bullpen games if they aren’t happy with their back-of-the-rotation options. And so, it’s the fourth starter whose role has begun to diminish further.

Even the Dodgers aren’t immune to this. Los Angeles has four front-of-the-rotation starters dominating in the postseason this year. It would be crazy to suggest that any of Blake Snell, Tyler Glasnow, Yoshinobu Yamamoto or Shohei Ohtani fits the description of a No. 4 starter.

But that doesnâ€t mean the Dodgers didnâ€t value back-of-the-rotation starters. After all, those were the types of pitchers who dragged the team through the first four months of the season to allow these aces to thrive in October.

Consider that Yamamoto is the only Dodgers starter this postseason who threw more than 100 innings during the regular season. Less than 50% of the Dodgers’ regular season innings from starting pitchers came from their “Big 4” starters. In October, those four and their largely fresh arms have thrown 73.2% of the Dodgers’ total innings.

By having a first wave of arms to eat innings during the regular season, the Dodgers were able to patiently bide their time until Snell, Ohtani and Glasnow worked into postseason form.

In the final year of his illustrious MLB career, Dodgers lefthander Clayton Kershaw fits this description of a very useful starter who gets sidelined come October. Kershaw was excellent this year, going 11-2, 3.36 (124 ERA+) in 112.2 innings. But he also did not miss many bats. So far, he’s made one postseason relief appearance, giving up five runs (four earned) in two innings against the Phillies. He was on the NLCS roster but didn’t pitch in the series.Â

In trying to find a reasonably consistent thread that ties these decisions together, the clearest explanation is the increased emphasis on velocity in the postseason. During the regular season, the average fastball velocity across the major leagues was 94.3 mph. In the postseason, thatâ€s jumped to 95.8.

The difference in starter velocity is even more dramatic. During the regular season, starting pitchers averaged 93.9 mph with their fastballs. In the postseason, thatâ€s jumped to 95.7 mph—right in line with the bullpen velocity in the postseason.

Excluding openers, there have been 10 true starters this postseason who have averaged less than 94 mph with their fastballs. Those starters have posted a 5.59 ERA and 67 hits allowed in 56.1 innings with a 3.2 BB/9 and 9.4 K/9.

On the other hand, there are 13 true starters this postseason who have averaged 96+ mph with their fastballs. As a group, they’ve posted a 2.63 ERA and just 99 hits allowed in 143.2 innings with a 2.3 BB/9 and 11.3 K/9.

Come the postseason, teams generally want to turn to starters who can miss a lot of bats. Durable consistency is less in demand.

This was perfectly illustrated in Game 4 of the NLCS, which will forever be known as the “Shohei Ohtani Game.” When he wasn’t busy launching three home runs, the Dodgers sent Ohtani to the mound and watched him allow only two hits and three walks over six scoreless innings. He touched 100 mph while striking out 10 of the 22 batters he faced.

On the other side, the Brewers turned to Jose Quintana. Like Bassitt, Quintana is a wonderfully durable and effective starter who has thrown over 2,100 innings in his MLB career. He went 11-7, 3.96 (105 ERA+) in the regular season. But his Game 4 start was only his second appearance of the postseason (he threw three scoreless innings in relief against the Cubs on Oct. 8).

In Game 4, Quintana gave up a home run to Ohtani and two additional runs in the first. He exited after allowing three runs, six hits and a walk in two rough innings of work. In 2024, he had also been roughed up by the Dodgers in an NLCS start, allowing five runs in 3.1 innings, thanks again in part to an Ohtani home run.

Quintana likely will be a free agent again this offseason, as his current $2 million deal has a $15 million mutual option for 2026 with a $2 million buyout. And he will likely be in demand once again as a lefthander who can provide durable, consistent innings as a back-of-the-rotation starter. So, too, will Bassitt, who is also a pending free agent.

Just donâ€t expect to see them get much use next October.

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TORONTO — Look dad, Game 7!

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. hit his sixth home run this postseason, rookie Trey Yesavage struck out seven in 5 2/3 innings and the Toronto Blue Jays pushed the American League Championship Series to the limit by beating the sloppy Seattle Mariners 6-2 on Sunday night.

The AL pennant will be decided Monday night in Toronto, the second Game 7 in Blue Jays history. Toronto lost to Kansas City in the 1985 ALCS.

“Got to enjoy it, man. This is what we sign up for,†Blue Jays manager John Schneider said. “Itâ€s special and unique, but you have to look at it as a game.â€

For one famous baseball family, it will also be a first. Guerreroâ€s father, Hall of Fame outfielder Vladimir Guerrero, never played in a postseason Game 7 during his 16-year career.

“My dad was telling me, Game 7 is give it all you have,†the Toronto slugger said.

Seattle, the only big league team without a pennant, will play a Game 7 for the first time. The winner faces the NL champion Los Angeles Dodgers in the World Series beginning Friday.

“Win or go home,†Mariners center fielder Julio Rodríguez said. “Weâ€re going to lay everything out there.â€

Addison Barger homered and drove in three early runs for the Blue Jays, who turned three double plays behind Yesavage — two of them to escape bases-loaded jams.

That made Toronto the first team to induce consecutive bases-loaded, inning-ending double plays in a postseason game, and only the fourth team to turn two in a single postseason game.

“I knew my defense had my back,†Yesavage said.

Toronto also took advantage of Seattleâ€s season-high three errors. By comparison, the Blue Jays have made four errors in 10 playoff games.

“Balls just kind of in and out of the glove there that put a couple extra guys on base,†Mariners manager Dan Wilson said. “Unfortunately, it led to a couple runs.â€

Guerreroâ€s sixth career postseason homer — all this year — tied him with José Bautista and Joe Carter for the most in Blue Jays history.

“This is what you look for from one of the elite players in the game,†Schneider said.

Bautista threw out the ceremonial first pitch before the game.

Toronto had lost its previous four games when facing postseason elimination. That streak stretched to Game 5 of the 2016 ALCS against Cleveland and included wild-card round losses to Tampa Bay in 2020, Seattle in 2022 and Minnesota in 2023.

Guerreroâ€s leadoff homer in the fifth made it 5-0 and chased Mariners starter Logan Gilbert. The right-hander allowed four earned runs and seven hits in four-plus innings.

“I thought he had a good fastball, especially early,†Wilson said. “His split was good at times. This is a tough lineup and they did what they had to do to get the ball in play.â€

Yesavage took a shutout into the sixth. He was charged with two runs and six hits, five of them singles. Five of his strikeouts came on his split-finger fastball, as did both double-play grounders with the bases loaded.

“I just believed in myself. I know my stuff plays at this level,†Yesavage said. “I know the defense behind me is going to play at the best of their abilities, and getting three double plays in back-to-back-to-back innings was huge.â€

The 22-year-old Yesavage threw a season-high 31 splitters. He got 10 whiffs on splitters and five more on sliders.

“He brings the energy,†Guerrero said. “Heâ€s young. He wants to win so bad.â€

Three of Yesavageâ€s six major league starts have come in the playoffs. Heâ€s won twice this postseason after winning one of three outings during the regular season.

Louis Varland got four outs and Jeff Hoffman struck out four over two hitless innings to end it.

The Mariners used two walks and a single to load the bases against Yesavage in the third but were denied when slugger Cal Raleigh grounded into a 3-6-1 double play started by Guerrero and completed by Yesavage covering first base. Raleighâ€s first-pitch grounder came off his bat at 101 mph.

“Underappreciated, I think, is how Vlad can play really deep because of his arm,†Schneider said. “In that situation, too, you need some wiggle room for a guy that hits the ball really hard.â€

Raleigh finished 0 for 4 with three strikeouts.

Seattle came up empty again after another bases-loaded opportunity in the fourth when J.P. Crawford grounded into a 4-6-3 double play.

The Mariners broke through and chased Yesavage in the sixth. Josh Naylorâ€s solo shot was his third home run of the playoffs. Yesavage exited after Randy Arozarenaâ€s base hit, and Eugenio Suárez greeted Varland with a bloop RBI single.

Toronto took advantage of fielding errors by Rodríguez in center field and Suárez at third base to score twice in the second, when Barger and Isiah Kiner-Falefa had RBI singles.

Ernie Clement hit a two-out triple off the left-field wall in the third and scored when Barger homered, his second of the postseason.

George Springer started at designated hitter for the Blue Jays and went 0 for 4 with a walk. Springer exited in the seventh inning of Fridayâ€s Game 5 loss in Seattle after he was hit on the right kneecap by a 95.6 mph pitch from Bryan Woo.

Guerrero was hit by a pitch from Seattle reliever Matt Brash in the seventh. Guerrero moved to second on Alejandro Kirkâ€s single and was advancing on a wild pitch when he scored on Raleighâ€s throwing error.

Up next

Toronto is expected to start RHP Shane Bieber on Monday night. Bieber allowed two runs and four hits over six innings in Game 3, a 13-4 win for the Blue Jays. He struck out eight and walked one as he bounced back from a poor outing against the Yankees in the Division Series.

RHP George Kirby will start for Seattle. He allowed eight runs and eight hits, including three homers, over four innings in Game 3.

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In tossing six scoreless innings and hitting about 1,430 feet of home runs, Shohei Ohtani put up probably the most unique performance in postseason history Friday in NLCS Game 5 against the Brewers. It was perhaps the most spectacular athletic performance ever to take place on a baseball field. Maybe even any sort of field. But was it the greatest individual performance in major league postseason history?

That’s a difficult question, one that many would argue hinges on context. Obviously, starring in Game 4 of the NLCS with a 3-0 series lead isn’t the same as Game 7 of World Series.

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But what is it up against? Here’s a rundown of perhaps the top 10 single-game performances in MLB postseason history.

MLB: Washington Nationals at Atlanta Braves

Way-Too-Early 2026 Fantasy Baseball Top 300 Rankings

Aaron Judge or Shohei Ohtani at the top? Our early 2026 Top 300 rankings highlight key fantasy storylines heading into the MLB offseason.

Best Individual MLB Postseason Performances

Honorable Mention

1963 World Series Game 1: Sandy Koufax fans 15 Yankees

Koufax threw two shutouts in the 1965 World Series, including one in Game 7 to finish off the Twins. Still, perhaps even more impressive was his two-game set in a sweep of the Yankees in the 1963 World Series. Koufax outdueled Whitey Ford twice in 5-2 and 2-1 victories, and his 15 strikeouts in Game 1 set a postseason record that has only since been exceeded twice, including once by…

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Honorable Mention

1968 World Series Game 1: Bob Gibsonâ€s 17-K shutout

Fairly or not, Gibsonâ€s Game 7 loss keeps the Game 1 performance out of the top 10 here. Prior to that, he outdueled 1968 AL Cy Young winner Denny McLain twice in 4-0 and 10-1 complete-game victories. Unfortunately for the Cardinals, McLain came back out and won Game 6 and Mickey Lolich, working on two days†rest after winning Game 5, got the better of Gibson as the Tigers won Game 7 by a 4-1 score.

Honorable Mention

2022 ALDS Game 1: Yordan Alvarez walks it off in ninth

In all of postseason history, two individual performances have amounted to at least a 1.0 Win Probability Added, which is a measure of how each event in a game changed win expectancy (a first-inning homer might increase a team’s chances of winning from 50 to 60 percent, which would be a 0.1 win expectancy, while Kirk Gibson’s famous walkoff homer in the 1988 World Series was worth 0.87). The first of those was pulled off by Babe Ruth the pitcher, who allowed one run over 14 innings to win Game 2 of the 1916 World Series for the Red Sox. The second was by Alvarez, who had already driven in two runs against the Mariners when he hit a three-run homer off Paul Sewald with two outs in the bottom of the ninth to give the Astros a 7-5 win. That changed the Astros’ win expectancy from nine percent to 100. But, of course, it was Game 1 of the ALDS.

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Honorable Mention

2010 NLDS Game 1: Roy Halladayâ€s no-hitter in postseason debut

The Blue Jays never reached the playoffs in Halladayâ€s 12 seasons in Toronto, so the 33-year-old, who was about to win his second Cy Young Award in his first season with the Phillies, was making his postseason debut when he faced the Reds to start the 2010 NLDS. What followed was his second no-hitter of the year (the first was also a perfect game), as he allowed just a single walk to the Reds.

10) 1921 World Series Game 8: Art Nehf shuts out Yankees

Yes, Game 8, as this was the fourth and final World Series to use a best-of-nine format. The New York Giants†starter, Nehf, was matched up with Waite Hoyt for the third time after losing Game 2 by a 3-0 score and game 5 by a 3-1 margin. This time, Nehf got the better of the future Hall of Famer in a 1-0 game, ending the series with the Giants winning 5-3. It helped a bit that Babe Ruth was limited to a pinch-hitting appearance by a bad knee.

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9) 1999 ALDS Game 5: Troy Oâ€Leary & Pedro Martinez finish off Cleveland

Pick either. After losing the first two games of the best-of-five series, the Red Sox stormed back to take Games 3 and 4 by 9-3 and 23-7 margins. Game 5 was setting up as another shootout, with Cleveland leading 8-7 after three in spite of Oâ€Learyâ€s grand slam in the third. Thatâ€s when Martinez, who had been forced to leave Game 1 with a shoulder problem, took over. He pitched six hitless innings with eight strikeouts, and Oâ€Leary hit a second homer, a three-run shot, to break an 8-8 tie in the seventh. The seven RBI from Oâ€Leary is still tied for the postseason record.

8) 1967 World Series Game 7: Bob Gibson goes distance, homers in win

Gibson didn’t really need to homer off Boston’s Jim Lonborg, who was also going for third win of the World Series, to pull off the Game 7 victory here, but it was the cherry on top. Gibson won Games 1, 4 and 7 in the series, allowing a total of three runs in his three complete games.

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7) 1977 World Series Game 6: Reggie Jackson hits three home runs

With the Yankees trying to close out the Dodgers, the newly coined “Mr. October†made sure the nickname would stick, homering on all three of his swings in an 8-4 win. Jackson walked in his first plate appearance and scored on a homer from Chris Chambliss. He then homered in the fourth, fifth and eighth, plating a total of five runs in the 8-4 victory.

6) 1956 World Series Game 5: Don Larsenâ€s perfect game

Larsen had allowed nine runs — five earned — over 5 2/3 innings in two career postseason appearances for the Yankees when he suddenly turned in one of the most famous performances of all-time in the 1956 World Series, pitching a perfect game in a 2-0 win over the Dodgers. Facing a lineup loaded with five future Hall of Famers, he struck out seven while going 27 up and 27 down. It was the only ever postseason no-hitter until Halladayâ€s in the 2010 NLCS.

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5) 1962 World Series Game 7: Ralph Terry downs Giants in Game 7

Mickey Mantle versus Willie Mays turned out to be a dud, as both superstars struggled in the second and final World Series matchup (both were rookies when the Yankees and Giants previously met in 1951). Terry, in his one and only All-Star campaign, turned out to be the difference maker. After taking a tough 2-0 loss in Game 2, he went the distance in a 5-3 victory in Game 5 and then hurled a shutout in Game 7, with Willie McCovey lining out to second baseman Bill Richardson to end a 1-0 game.

4) 2011 World Series Game 6: David Freese ties it, wins it against Rangers

A rather anonymous regular until this point, Freese had already put together a whopper of a postseason by the time the Cardinals-Rangers World Series got to Game 6. He went 0-for-3 with a walk in his first four plate appearances that night, but he had a two-run triple over Nelson Cruzâ€s head to tie game in the ninth and then a walkoff homer in the bottom of the 11th to send the series to Game 7. He had a two-run double in that one, too, as the Cardinals won the championship. In all, he hit .397 with five homers, eight doubles and 21 RBI in 18 postseason games.

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3) 2025 NLCS Game 4: Shohei Ohtani homers three times, strikes out 10

Could anyone else do what Ohtani did in finishing off the Brewers? No, not a chance. He hit a ball out of Dodger Stadium and touched 100 mph on the radar gun twice, throwing the 11 hardest pitches of the game. Ohtaniâ€s three-homer game was the 13th in postseason history, and he struck out 10 over six scoreless innings in the 5-1 victory. Ranking his performance on a list like this just comes down to how much one wants to weigh leverage. If Ohtani had been mediocre with a 3-0 series lead in the NLCS, the Dodgers still might have won the game and almost certainly would have won the series. Thatâ€s not the case with most of these other candidates.

2) 2014 World Series Game 7: Madison Bumgarner closes out stellar series

About the closest anyone has ever come to winning a World Series by himself, Bumgarner entered Game 7 against the Royals having already pitched seven innings of one-run ball in Game 1 and a complete-game shutout in Game 5. Going into Game 7, it was figured that he might have one or two innings in him on two-days rest, but he took the ball to begin the fifth for the Giants and never gave it up, throwing five scoreless innings to finish off a 3-2 victory.

1) 1991 World Series Game 7: Jack Morris outlasts John Smoltz in 1-0 win

The performance that made him a Hall of Famer. Morris, in his lone year with the Twins, won Game 1 against the Braves and then took a no-decision in his first matchup with Smoltz in Game 4, which Atlanta went on to win. Game 7 saw both pitchers work on three days†rest, and Smoltz was incredible for 7 1/3 innings in the scoreless duel. Morris, meanwhile, kept plugging along, throwing 10 scoreless innings before Gene Larkin singled in Dan Gladden to give the Twins the title. No one since has pitched more than nine innings in a postseason game.

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2008 ALCS: Tampa Bay Rays 3, Boston Red Sox 1

Game 5 of this series featured one of the wildest comebacks in postseason history, with Boston erasing what was a 7-0 deficit in the seventh inning. And the reigning champions tried to do it again, getting two on with one out in the seventh, loading the bases in the eighth and thrice bringing the tying run to the plate in the ninth. ‘Twas all for naught, though, as the Rays used five pitchers in the eighth inning alone while repeatedly wriggling out of jams.

2017 World Series: Houston Astros 5, Los Angeles Dodgers 1

Lance McCullers Jr. plunked not one, not two, not three, but four of the first 12 Dodgers he faced. They never made him pay for his lack of control, though, not scoring their lone run until the sixth inning. Meanwhile, Houston racked up five runs within its first 10 batters, chasing Yu Darvish from a game that was over in a hurry.

2020 NLCS: Los Angeles Dodgers 4, Atlanta Braves 3

A tense one for sure, in which Kiké Hernández hit the game-tying solo home run in the bottom of the sixth inning before Cody Bellinger delivered the go-ahead solo shot in the seventh. After a wild double play at third base in the fourth inning, though, Atlanta’s offense simply vanished, as Blake Treinen, Brusdar Graterol and Julio Urías went six hitless innings to close out the game. Yes, one of those hitless ABs was Mookie Betts robbing Freddie Freeman of a home run. But, let’s be frank, the fact that this game was played in a sparsely populated Texas Rangers stadium really mitigated the memorability factor.

2020 ALCS: Tampa Bay Rays 4, Houston Astros 2

Houston almost became the second team to erase a 3-0 series deficit, but couldn’t quite erase what was a 4-0 deficit in this game. They got two men on in the sixth, two more on in the seventh and brought the would-be tying run to the plate in both the eighth and ninth innings. Alas, they couldn’t quite complete the journey from a 29-31 regular season record to the World Series.

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The 2025 MLB postseason is in full swing. After a thrilling Wild Card round and a Division Series round which included an instant classic between the Mariners and the Tigers, the road to the 2025 MLB World Series continues. How inevitable are the Dodgers, exactly? Weâ€re about to find out.

Below is everything you need to know about the 2025 MLB postseason schedule and format.

Aaron Judge or Shohei Ohtani at the top? Our early 2026 Top 300 rankings highlight key fantasy storylines heading into the MLB offseason.

When is the 2025 World Series?

The 2025 World Series is scheduled to begin on Friday October 24, and would go through Saturday November 1 if the series goes seven games.

âš¾ï¸ Who is the favorite to win the 2025 World Series?

Per DraftKings (as of Saturday, October 18):

• Dodgers -185
• Mariners +215
• Blue Jays +850

Who Has Home-Field Advantage For the 2025 World Series?

Home-field advantage goes to the team with the best record. If the teams have the same record, home-field advantage will be determined by tiebreakers.

The Brewers finished the regular season with the best record in baseball at 97-65. However, since they were eliminated by the Dodgers during the NLCS, home-field advantage for the World Series is up for grabs.

If the Mariners (90-72) win the American League pennant, the Dodgers (93-69) would have home-field advantage. If the Blue Jays (94-68) come back to beat the Mariners, they would have home-field over the Dodgers.

What is the 2025 MLB Postseason Schedule?

âš¾ Championship Series: October 12-21

(ALCS airing on TBS, truTV and HBO Max; NLCS airing on FOX, FS1, and FOX Deportes: Game times are TBA)

*if necessary

Date

Matchup

10/12/25

Mariners at Blue Jays (ALCS Game 1)

SEA 3, DET 1

10/13/25

Mariners at Blue Jays (ALCS Game 2)

SEA 10, DET 3

Dodgers at Brewers (NCLS Game 1)

LAD 2, MIL 1

10/14/25

Dodgers at Brewers (NCLS Game 2))

LAD 5, MIL 1

10/15/25

Blue Jays at Mariners (ALCS Game 3)

TOR 13, SEA 4

10/16/25

Brewers at Dodgers (NLCS Game 3)

LAD 3, MIL 1

Blue Jays at Mariners (ALCS Game 4)

TOR 8, SEA 2

10/17/25

Blue Jays at Mariners (ALCS Game 5)

SEA 6, TOR 2

Brewers at Dodgers (NLCS Game 4)

LAD 5, MIL 1

10/19/25

Mariners at Blue Jays (ALCS Game 6)

8:03 p.m. ET

10/20/25

Mariners at Blue Jays (ALCS Game 7)*

8:08 p.m. ET

âš¾ 2025 World Series: October 24-November 1

(World Series airing on FOX: Game times are TBA)

*if necessary

Date

Series

Matchup

10/24/25

World Series, Game 1

League Champ #2 at League Champ #1

10/25/25

World Series, Game 2

League Champ #2 at League Champ #1

10/27/25

World Series, Game 3

League Champ #1 at League Champ #2

10/28/25

World Series, Game 4

League Champ #1 at League Champ #2

10/29/25

World Series, Game 5 *

League Champ #1 at League Champ #2

10/31/25

World Series, Game 6 *

League Champ #2 at League Champ #1

11/1/25

World Series, Game 7 *

League Champ #2 at League Champ #1

2025 MLB Playoff Rules

What Are The Replay Rules for the 2025 MLB Playoffs?

Managers get just one challenge during the regular season, but they are afforded two challenges in the postseason. If a challenge is successful, the manager keeps their challenge; they lose one of their challenges if the original call is confirmed. From the eighth inning onward, the crew chief can still review certain calls if a team has exhausted their challenges.

Will the Runner-on-Second Rule Apply in Extra Innings During the 2025 MLB Playoffs?

No. As opposed the regular season, the bases will be empty to begin extra innings and the game will be played under those circumstances until completion.

Can MLB Teams Replace Injured Players During the Playoffs?

Yes. Teams can replace an injured player during a series, but that player will be deemed ineligible for the remainder of the series and the following round should the team advance.

Additionally, a pitcher may only be replaced by another pitcher and a position player may only be replaced by another position player.

MLB Postseason Roster Eligibility Rules Explained

Any player on the 40-man roster or injured list as of noon ET on September 1 is eligible for the postseason. Players who were in the organization (and not on the 40-man roster) by that deadline may also replace someone on the 10-day or 60-day injured list, provided the injured player has served the minimum required time (10 days for the 10-day IL, 60 days for the 60-day IL). The substitute must also be added to the 40-man roster before joining the postseason roster.

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SEATTLE – Blue Jays manager John Schneider had the thought as his team boarded the 2,500-mile flight from Toronto to Seattle on Monday night, following losses in the first two games of the American League Championship Series against the Mariners.

“I hope we find some slug in the air out here.â€

Leave it to his superstar to lead the way and make some franchise history in the process.

“Like I say always, I believe in God and I believe in this team,†Guerrero said on FOX postgame. “When you play one day at a time, one at-bat at a time, something big can happen. To us, we came here and tried to win the series. We got two, and tomorrow weâ€ve got to try and find a way to win the next one.â€

Guerreroâ€s Statcast-projected 359-foot blast out to right-center field in the seventh inning was his fifth of the postseason, breaking a tie with José Bautista (2015) for most in a single postseason in Blue Jays history.

It was also Guerreroâ€s 15th hit of the postseason following his single in the third inning. Heâ€s just the fourth player with 15-plus hits and five-plus home runs in his first eight games of a single postseason, joining:

“Let’s be honest, with the contract comes a lot of extracurriculars,†Schneider said. “He’s met them head on. I think the pitches he swung at in Games 1 and 2 were the right pitches to swing at, but I think he was a little bit overanxious and it led to some ground balls.

“Vladdy a couple years ago might have been a little stubborn. Vladdy right now, in this moment in 2025, has the ability to take a step back, process what he’s doing, then he leans into his teammates and leans into his coaches. He’s made some adjustments. That was a big swing.”

Following an 0-for-7 start to the ALCS, Guerrero is wide awake now, having gone 6-for-9 in the past two games. And the rest of the lineup has followed with its normal gritty at-bats that can grind down an opposing pitching staff.

Second baseman Isiah Kiner-Falefa didnâ€t know he was going to be in the lineup when he woke up Thursday, but with Anthony Santander dealing with a lingering back injury and now off the ALCS roster, the Blue Jays moved Addison Barger to right field on Thursday, Ernie Clement to third base and inserted Kiner-Falefa in at second base.

Kiner-Falefa sent a double into left field to begin the third inning and a Toronto rally. And for the second consecutive night, No. 9 hitter Andrés Giménez hit the game-flipping home run. His two-run blast in the third inning turned the Blue Jays†one-run deficit into a one-run lead they never relinquished.

“Iâ€m not going to hit homers every day,†Giménez said. “I was just trying to move the runner over, and I hit it pretty well. … The guys like me need to get on base for George [Springer], Vladdy, [Nathan] Lukes. Thatâ€s our game.â€

“That’s just us, you know?†Schneider said.

Kiner-Falefa added: “My job for this team is to be ready if someone was to get injured. That could be during the game, before the game. I just went at it how I go out every day, ready for any opportunity. … For me nothing changes, just going at it the same way every day until I get that opportunity.â€

And Guerrero did what he does best to add to the lead late.

Whatever this offense found as the series shifted to Seattle this week, itâ€s gotten them back in this thing. They donâ€t want to slow down now.

“We have a really good approach as a team,†Giménez said. “We all commit to it. And itâ€s really good when we execute that way.â€

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It’s fair to call Max Scherzer a winning player. Besides his 221 regular-season victories, he has finished just three of his 18 MLB seasons on a team with a sub-.500 record. He has also reached the playoffs with six of those seven franchises, including the Blue Jays this year.

The two-time World Series champion got the ball for ALCS Game 4 on Thursday night in Seattle and came through with a stellar outing: 5 2/3 innings, two earned runs allowed and five strikeouts. That start made Scherzer the newest member of a very small group of well-traveled players with an enormous amount of playoff experience.

The Blue Jays are the sixth team that Scherzer has played for in October, along with the Tigers (2011-14), Nationals (2014, 2016-17, 2019), Dodgers (2021), Mets (2022) and Rangers (2023). Only four other players in MLB history have appeared in the postseason with that many clubs.

Here’s a look at that short list as well as the collection of players who have appeared in the playoffs for five franchises. Red Sox reliever Aroldis Chapman joined that group when he closed out Boston’s victory in Game 1 of its 2025 American League Wild Card Series against the Yankees.

Max Scherzer, six teams
Tigers (2011-14), Nationals (2016-17, 2019), Dodgers (2021), Mets (2022), Rangers (2023), Blue Jays (2025)

Scherzer has concluded five postseason starts with double-digit strikeouts, and his best such outing arguably came during the Nationals’ run to the 2019 World Series title. Scherzer struck out 11 Cardinals and allowed only one hit over seven scoreless frames in NLCS Game 2. The Nats would go on to win both of Scherzer’s starts during that year’s Fall Classic against the Astros. Four years later, he tossed three scoreless innings in World Series Game 3 for the eventual champion Rangers, although he had to depart that start early due to a back injury. Scherzer’s 26th and most recent playoff start — and his first as a Blue Jay — saw him deal 5 2/3 innings at age 41 in ALCS Game 4 versus the Mariners.

Josh Donaldson, six teams
A’s (2012-14), Blue Jays (2015-16), Cleveland (2018), Braves (2019), Yankees (2022), Brewers (2023)

The 2015 AL MVP collected three homers and six extra-base hits in 11 playoff games for Toronto that season. Donaldson was even better the following year, slashing .417/.462/.667 with seven XBHs through nine games. Alas, the Blue Jays’ World Series hopes were thwarted in the League Championship Series by Kansas City and Cleveland, respectively. Donaldson, who never reached the Fall Classic, couldn’t replicate that level of production with any of the other clubs he played for in the postseason. Outside of those two trips with Toronto, he batted .193 (21-for-109) with one homer and 38 strikeouts in the playoffs.

Fernando Rodney, six teams
Tigers (2006), Rays (2013), Cubs (2015), D-backs (2017), A’s (2018), Nationals (2019)

Rodney’s postseason résumé is pretty spotty: 5.71 ERA, 5.46 FIP and a 2.02 WHIP over 17 1/3 innings (20 games). He also went 0-for-2 in save opportunities after racking up 327 saves during the regular season. But he did get the final out in two win-or-go-home games, first for the Rays in their 2013 American League Wild Card Game at Cleveland and then for the D-backs in their 2017 National League Wild Card Game versus Colorado. Two years later — Rodney’s final one in MLB — he was merely a low-leverage reliever during the playoffs for the Nationals, but he was able to retire as a World Series champion.

David Wells, six teams
Blue Jays (1989, 1991-92), Reds (1995), Orioles (1996), Yankees (1997-98, 2002-03), Red Sox (2005), Phillies (2006)

Wells’ ERA was nearly a full run better in the playoffs (3.17) than it was during the regular season (4.13). Granted, some of that can be credited to when he was in the Blue Jays’ bullpen in 1989, ’91 and in their ’92 World Series title year. He allowed only two earned runs across 13 October innings over those three seasons. But once Wells was a part of a playoff rotation, first with the ’95 Reds, he was often reliable as a starter, too. The left-hander allowed one unearned run and struck out eight batters over 6 1/3 innings in his first postseason start as Cincinnati triumphed in Game 3 of the 1995 NLDS against the Dodgers.

His greatest playoff successes came with the Yankees, especially during their dominant run in 1998. Wells finished third in the AL Cy Young voting that season and was then named ALCS MVP after tossing 15 2/3 innings through two starts and striking out 18 Cleveland batters. His 11 K’s in Game 5 were his personal best in the postseason.

Kenny Lofton, six teams
Cleveland (1995-96, 1998-99, 2001, 2007), Braves (1997), Giants (2002), Cubs (2003), Yankees (2004), Dodgers (2006)

Lofton was playoff-bound in all but two years from 1995-2007. A prolific speedster, his 34 stolen bases in the playoffs are the most by any player, and his 11 bags for Cleveland in 1995 matched Rickey Henderson’s total for the 1989 A’s as the most in a single postseason. In Game 6 of the ’95 ALCS, Lofton’s speed put the finishing touches on Cleveland’s first pennant since 1954 as he scored from second base on a passed ball in the eighth inning against Randy Johnson and the Mariners. But his most impactful postseason moment arguably came with the Giants seven years later. That’s when Lofton lined a walk-off RBI single in the bottom of the ninth of NLCS Game 5 to send San Francisco to the World Series.

Players who made the postseason with five teams

• Don Baylor (Orioles, Red Sox, Angels, Twins, A’s)

• Carlos Beltrán (Astros, Mets, Yankees, Cardinals, Rangers)

• Bobby Bonilla (Braves, Orioles, Marlins, Mets, Pirates)

• Chad Bradford (Red Sox, White Sox, Mets, A’s, Rays)

• Ellis Burks (Red Sox, White Sox, Cleveland, Rockies, Giants)

• Orlando Cabrera (Red Sox, White Sox, Reds, Angels, Twins)

• Aroldis Chapman (Red Sox, Cubs, Reds, Yankees, Rangers)

• Octavio Dotel (White Sox, Tigers, Astros, Mets, Cardinals)

• Alan Embree (Braves, Red Sox, Cleveland, Padres, Giants)

• Curtis Granderson (Tigers, Dodgers, Brewers, Mets, Yankees)

• Rickey Henderson (Mets, A’s, Padres, Mariners, Blue Jays)

• Jason Heyward (Braves, Cubs, Astros, Dodgers, Cardinals)

• Danny Jackson (Reds, Royals, Phillies, Pirates, Cardinals)

• Craig Kimbrel (Braves, Red Sox, Cubs, White Sox, Phillies)

• J.D. Martinez (D-backs, Red Sox, Tigers, Dodgers, Mets)

• Pat Neshek (Rockies, Astros, Twins, A’s, Cardinals)

• John Olerud (Red Sox, Mets, Yankees, Mariners, Blue Jays)

• Tommy Pham (D-backs, Royals, Padres, Cardinals, Rays)

• Reggie Sanders (D-backs, Braves, Reds, Giants, Cardinals)

• Jim Thome (Orioles, White Sox, Cleveland, Dodgers, Twins)

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SEATTLE — The Toronto Blue Jays are expecting Max Scherzer to be himself when he starts Game 4 of the AL Championship Series against Seattle.

His excitable, feisty self.

“I love it. This is what you play for,†Scherzer said. “You want to have the ball in this situation, you want to be pitching in the postseason.â€

The 41-year-old Scherzer hasnâ€t pitched in a game since his last regular-season start on Sept. 24 against Boston. The three-time Cy Young Award winner is making his 26th postseason start and 31st appearance.

Scherzer and fellow right-hander Chris Bassitt were added to Torontoâ€s ALCS roster after they missed the Division Series against the Yankees. Bassitt pitched 1 2/3 scoreless innings in a relief appearance during a10-3 loss to the Mariners.

“I expect Max to be Max,†Bassitt said, “in the aspect of just go out there and execute at a very, very high level.â€

Scherzer is 0-3 over his last eight postseason starts since the 2019 World Series. He went 1-3 with a 9.00 ERA in his final six starts of the 2025 season.

Scherzer admitted his pitching was not up to his standards toward the end of the season, and that he took time to get his body right. Manager John Schneider said neck pain limited Scherzer at the end of the season. The eight-time All-Star also didnâ€t pitch between March 29 and June 25 because of right thumb inflammation.

Scherzer, who finalized a one-year, $15.5 million contract with Toronto in February, went 5-5 with a 5.19 ERA in 17 starts this year — his 18th in the major leagues.

“I donâ€t want to sit here and go backwards and blame injuries for any way I pitched,†Scherzer said. “When I take the mound, I take the mound, and I have the attitude (that) Iâ€m going to win no matter what.â€

The Blue Jays beat the Mariners 13-4 in Game 3 after dropping the first two games of the ALCS at home. They need to win at least two of three in Seattle to send the best-of-seven series back to Toronto.

“Weâ€re a great team,†Scherzer said before the Blue Jays†win in Game 3. “Iâ€ve seen it over and over throughout this year, the number of times we responded in so many different ways. We had so many comeback wins. Weâ€ve played great ball.

“Yes, we lost two games. Yes, obviously these are must-win games. We all understand whatâ€s at stake.â€

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