Creating one incredible postseason lineup out of ALCS roster reveal

The ALCS matchup is set, and it's a doozy. The Toronto Blue Jays and Seattle Mariners, the American League's No. 1 and 2 seeds, will meet with the Pennant on the line. This is a matchup nobody realistically expected entering the year, but it'll feature two very deserving teams.

The Blue Jays proved that their AL East crown was far from fraudulent as they not only eliminated the New York Yankees, but were able to take care of business in dominant fashion. On the other side of the aisle, the Mariners had a bit of a tougher time with the Detroit Tigers than some expected in the ALDS, but they were able to win in each of Tarik Skubal's starts, showing how formidable they can be.

With Game 1 just hours away from being played, the rosters for each team have officially been revealed. For Toronto, the roster reveal was a bit of a frustrating one, as star shortstop Bo Bichette remains sidelined with a knee injury. For Seattle, though, ace Bryan Woo was added to the roster after missing the ALDS with an injury of his own. The Mariners getting their star back while Toronto's injured star remains on the sidelines could prove to be the difference in what should be a tight series.

The talent in this series is simply overwhelming, and that's on full display when the rosters are combined. Here's a look at what the ultimate ALCS lineup would look like if these two powerhouses joined forces.

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Catcher: Cal Raleigh, Seattle Mariners

Perhaps the biggest lock of this entire exercise is the catcher position as Cal Raleigh is the obvious starter here. No disrespect to Alejandro Kirk, one of the best all-around catchers in the sport in his own right, but Raleigh might have just put together the greatest season a catcher has ever had.

In addition to being a terrific defender, Raleigh slashed .247/.359/.589 with 60 home runs and 125 RBI. Kirk is a better contact hitter and pitch framer than Raleigh, but it's hard to overlook the power production. Raleigh literally set the all-time record for home runs by a primary catcher in a single season, and he did this while playing half the time at the most pitcher-friendly park in the game. It's Raleigh, and it isn't even close.

First Baseman: Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Toronto Blue Jays

This one is closer than many might think. Josh Naylor is a better defender and base runner than Vladimir Guerrero Jr., but Guerrero's offense sets him apart. Don't get me wrong — Naylor can hit — but there's a difference between above-average production and superstar production. Guerrero fits the latter.

Guerrero had a bit of a down year relative to his ridiculous 2024, but he still slashed .292/.381/.467 with 23 home runs and 84 RBI, tacking on 34 doubles as well in the regular season. In the ALDS, he went 9-for-17 with three home runs and nine RBI. Again, Naylor had a solid regular season and had some key hits in the ALDS, but few can do what Guerrero did when the lights are brightest.

Second Baseman: Jorge Polanco, Seattle Mariners

Perhaps I'm disrespecting Ernie Clement, who went 9-for-14 (.643 BA) in the ALDS and had a breakout regular season for Toronto, but Jorge Polanco feels like the clear answer here. Clement had the better ALDS, but Polanco hit a pair of massive home runs against Skubal, drove in the series-winning run, and had the better regular season.

Polanco followed the worst season of his career with his best season in a half-decade. He hit 26 home runs, drove in 78 runs, and had a 134 OPS+. He did a lot of his damage as a DH, to be fair, and Clement is clearly the better defender and base runner, but the gap with what these second basemen can do offensively is substantial.

Third Baseman: Eugenio Suarez, Seattle Mariners

Eugenio Suarez can be extremely frustrating to watch when he isn't in the zone, but at the end of the day, he hit 49 home runs and drove in 118 runs in the regular season. He ranked within the top five in the majors in both categories, showing his ability to change any given game.

Now, Suarez is only 2-for-21 this postseason, emphasizing his propensity to get mired in prolonged slumps, but when he's hot, he can carry a team. Addison Barger broke out in a big way this season and established himself as a building block for Toronto against right-handed pitching, but he's not capable of what Suarez is at the dish.

Shortstop: Andres Gimenez, Toronto Blue Jays

Bo Bichette would've been the easy pick here, but even with his injury, I'm going to take Andres Gimenez over J.P. Crawford at shortstop. Crawford's bat is certainly better than Gimenez's, but Gimenez's glove, even at shortstop, is so much better than Crawford's.

He hasn't played there much, but Gimenez is a Platinum Glove winner at second base for a reason. Even with a bit of a drop-off at shortstop compared to second base, Gimenez is still a brilliant defender, while Crawford was statistically the second-worst shortstop defensively based on OAA per Baseball Savant. In fact, the only shortstop worse in the field than him was Bichette, a star hitter. Crawford will provide more offense, but at such a valuable defensive position, I'm going to value Gimenez's glove over Crawford's bat.

Left Field: Randy Arozarena, Seattle Mariners

He's flown under the radar for whatever reason, but Randy Arozarena is a stud. He was an All-Star this season, as he launched 27 home runs and drove in 76 runs primarily out of the leadoff spot in Seattle's lethal order. He strikes out a lot and doesn't hit for a high average, as is prevalent throughout the Mariners' lineup, but the power is very real.

He had a rough ALDS, but given his ridiculous postseason track record, don't be surprised to see him come up huge. Anthony Santander has tremendous upside, but Arozarena has had the far better year and looks like the clear better player right now.

Center Field: Julio Rodriguez, Seattle Mariners

Speaking of players who have flown under the radar, it feels like Julio Rodriguez hasn't quite gotten the respect he deserves. He, too, can be streaky, but how many center fielders can do what he can? Rodriguez slashed .267/.324/.474 with 32 home runs and 95 RBI. He tacked on 30 stolen bases and 31 doubles, joining a select few players to record 30+ home runs, stolen bases and doubles this past season.

• Julio Rodriguez
• Jose Ramirez
• Pete Crow-Armstrong
• Corbin Carroll
• Francisco Lindor

That's some pretty insane company, and I just don't think Rodriguez gets enough credit for that. Daulton Varsho is one of the most underrated all-around players in the game, but he can't quite do what Rodriguez can do.

Right Field: Nathan Lukes: Toronto Blue Jays

I'm not sure if there was a better story in baseball than Nathan Lukes this year. Lukes, a decade-long minor leaguer, finally got his shot in the majors and made the most of it, slashing .255/.323/.407 with 12 home runs and 65 RBI while also playing high-end defense in the outfield. His numbers don't light up the screen, but something Lukes does extraordinarily well is make contact. He rarely whiffs or strikes out, putting a lot of pressure on the opposing defense. This can come in handy against a Mariners team that's a bit shaky in the field.

Lukes fit in so well on this contact-oriented Jays team that he's settled into the No. 2 spot in the batting order ahead of Vladimir Guerrero Jr. He's an underrated X-Factor to keep an eye on. Victor Robles, Seattle's right fielder, is a strong defender with solid speed, but Lukes' bat-to-ball ability really sets him apart.

Designated Hitter: George Springer, Toronto Blue Jays

Speaking of great stories, who expected George Springer to play the best baseball of his life at age 36? I thought that after a horrific age-35 season and a rough spring training that Springer was completely finished, but I couldn't have been further from the truth. He slashed .309/.399/.560 with 32 home runs and 84 RBI in the regular season, and he even tacked on 27 doubles and 18 stolen bases.

Springer wasn't quite Shohei Ohtani or Kyle Schwarber, but he was the best designated hitter in the AL this season. Dominic Canzone is a threat against right-handed pitching, but Springer is several tiers above him in the pecking order. He didn't have a great ALDS, but his track record of being a historically great postseason performer could lead to great things to come in this series.

Starting Pitcher: Bryan Woo, Seattle Mariners

I don't know when Bryan Woo will pitch, and I don't know how he'll look when he does pitch. With that being said, if the Mariners felt comfortable putting him on their roster, I have to assume he's close to 100 percent. If that's the case, Woo is easily the best pitcher in this series.

You'd be hard-pressed to find more than five or ten more reliable arms than Bryan Woo in 2025. He made 30 starts on the year and completed six or more innings in all but two of those outings. One of the two five-inning starts came in his final appearance of the regular season, where he suffered his pec injury. It's far from a common occurrence to see a starter complete six innings with any regularity, but Woo is one of the very few exceptions.

Kevin Gausman had another strong year, and Trey Yesavage looks like the future ace in Toronto. On Seattle's side, it's hard to go wrong with George Kirby and Logan Gilbert. None of these talented arms, though, compare with Woo.

Relief Pitcher: Andres Munoz, Seattle Mariners

As is the case many times in October, this series between a pair of pretty evenly-matched teams could very well go down to the bullpens. I like Seattle's bullpen a bit more, but I will admit that they had a couple of hiccups in the ALDS while Toronto punched a ticket to the ALCS on the strength of a full-on bullpen game.

When picking one reliever to roster of these two teams, though, it's hard not to choose Andres Munoz, Seattle's closer. Munoz has been a lockdown reliever for quite some time now, but he enjoyed his best season yet in 2025, posting a 1.73 ERA in 64 appearances and converting 38 saves in 45 tries. He was often used in the ALDS and came up clutch, delivering 5.1 scoreless innings without giving up a single hit and striking out five Tigers hitters.

I think Matt Brash might have the best slider in the game. Jeff Hoffman, when he locates, is really tough to square up on Toronto's side. Munoz, though, is one of the best closers in the game. This is an easy pick.