The Toronto Blue Jays were the No. 1 seed in the American League, so it's only fitting that they were the first team to punch their ticket to the League Championship Series. The matchup looked incredibly tough on paper, as they were matched up against a potent New York Yankees team, but the end result proved to be anything but.
The Jays won the best-of-five series in four games, with each of their wins coming in lopsided fashion. The only game the Yankees won in the series came on the strength of some major Aaron Judge heroics and a rare Blue Jays defensive meltdown.
The Blue Jays proved that their outstanding regular season was no fluke. They withstood Judge performing as well as he ever has in October and dominated the Yankees. They certainly looked like a team with as good a chance as any to win the World Series.
Beating the Yankees was a tremendous accomplishment, but the road will only get tougher from here. With that in mind, here's everything you need to know about who the Jays will face in the ALCS.
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Updated MLB playoff bracket: Who will Blue Jays face in ALCS?
The short answer here is we don't yet know who the Blue Jays will face with the AL pennant on the line. There were two American League series to take place in the Divisional Round, and the Blue Jays' series finished first. The matchup between the Detroit Tigers and Seattle Mariners will head to a winner-take-all Game 5, set to take place on Friday.
MLB has released dates and viewing information for the ALCS, but times and, of course, the opponent, remain to be seen. Each game will be played on FOX or FS1, with Joe Davis and John Smoltz on the call. The Blue Jays will have home-field advantage no matter what, so the schedule is set in stone, other than the opponent.
2025 ALCS schedule
Game | Date | Time | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
Game 1 | Sunday, Oct. 12 | TBD | Rogers Centre, Toronto |
Game 2 | Monday, Oct. 13 | TBD | Rogers Centre, Toronto |
Game 3 | Wednesday, Oct. 15 | TBD | TBD |
Game 4 | Thursday, Oct. 16 | TBD | TBD |
Game 5* | Friday, Oct. 17 | TBD | TBD |
Game 6* | Sunday, Oct. 19 | TBD | Rogers Centre, Toronto |
Game 7* | Monday, Oct. 20 | TBD | Rogers Centre, Toronto |
*if necessary
There will be no shortage of big names regardless of which team advances to take on the Jays. Toronto is led by Vladimir Guerrero Jr., George Springer, Kevin Gausman and rookie phenom Trey Yesavage. They could even get Bo Bichette, their star shortstop, back for the series. On the other side, the Mariners have Cal Raleigh and Julio Rodriguez leading the way, while the Tigers have Tarik Skubal and Riley Greene. Again, the star power is off the charts.
Who should the Blue Jays want to face in the ALCS?
The Blue Jays are in the desirable spot of getting to watch a winner-take-all Game 5 on their couches, knowing their place in the League Championship Series is secured. While it's nice to have a spot, I couldn't be any clearer when I say there is no easy matchup for Toronto, whether it's Detroit or Seattle.
The Mariners are the more well-rounded team. Their rotation is as talented as any, especially if Bryan Woo is able to return. Their bullpen, with guys like Andres Munoz and Matt Brash in the back-end, is lockdown on most nights. Their lineup, led by Raleigh and Rodriguez, is as good as it's been in years.
The Tigers have the best pitcher, though, and that can change any given series. Tarik Skubal is going to win his second straight AL Cy Young award, and has been dominant in each of his first two postseason starts. Skubal can't pitch in every game, but he should make two or three starts in a best-of-seven series, meaning he'll play a major role
As lethal as Skubal is, the Tigers' roster just isn't good enough. The rest of their rotation leaves a lot to be desired, and frankly, the same can be said about their bullpen and lineup. Really, it's impressive they've gotten as far as they have, especially after collapsing in September.
There's something to be said about how gritty the Tigers are, and they aren't a team that the Jays should want to face under normal circumstances. But when comparing Detroit's roster to Seattle's, it's night and day. The Mariners are frightening, and the Jays should want no part of them.