Blue Jays to meet Mariners in ALCS, with Game 1 Sunday in Toronto

Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr., left, reacts after hitting a single during the ninth inning of a baseball game against the Seattle Mariners, Friday, May 9, 2025, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Rio Giancarlo)

The Toronto Blue Jays will meet their expansion cousins in the American League Championship Series after the Seattle Mariners won the deciding Game 5 of their Division Series with the Detroit Tigers 3-2 in 15 innings on Friday.

Facing a full count, Jorge Polanco hit a single off Tommy Kahnle to score J.P. Crawford. Neither team had scored since Seattle tied the game at 2-2 in the seventh until then.

The best-of-seven American League Championship Series will kick off Sunday with Game 1 at 8:03 p.m. ET in Toronto. The Blue Jays then host Game 2 on Monday before the series switches to Seattle on Wednesday.

The series is a matchup of the top two seeds in the American League. Toronto won the AL East title and finished first in the league with a 94-68 record, while a late surge moved Seattle past Houston and into top spot in the AL West at 90-72. Both teams had byes in the Wild Card round.

Toronto posted a 4-2 record against the Mariners this season, including their first sweep in Seattle since 1991 in a May 9-11 series. The Mariners took two of three from Toronto at Rogers Centre from April 18-20.

Both teams came into the league in 1977. The Jays became a contending team much quicker, making it to their first ALCS in 1985 and winning back-to-back World Series in 1992 and ’93.

The Mariners didn’t make the post-season until 1995, the first year Major League Baseball expanded the playoff format to include the Division Series round. They have never played in a World Series, with their last of three appearances in the ALCS coming in 2001.

The Mariners do have head-to-head post-season bragging rights, sweeping the Jays in a Wild Card Series in 2022.

Toronto is coming off a 3-1 win over New York in an ALDS that saw stellar pitching performances from Kevin Gausman and Trey Yesavage. Offensive contributions came throughout the batting order, led by Vladimir Guerrero Jr.’s .529 batting average and nine RBIs.

The Jays will hope to get some reinforcements as it seeks its third AL pennant. Star shortstop Bo Bichette has been progressing after missing the end of the season and the ALDS with a knee injury. Pitchers Max Scherzer and Chris Bassitt could also figure into Toronto’s ALCS roster, which is expected to be announced Sunday.

The Mariners boast a power-hitting dynamo in catcher Cal Raleigh, who hit a major-league-leading 60 home runs this season and had an AL-best 125 RBIs. He was one of three Mariners all-stars in 2025, along with outfielder Randy Arozarena and right-hander Bryan Woo.

Arozarena had a career-high 27 home runs as well as 31 stolen bases and 76 RBIs. Woo, who had a 15-7 record with a 2.94 earned-run average and 198 strikeouts, missed the ALDS with pectoral inflammation but could be ready for the ALCS.

The Pacific Northwest has traditionally been a home away from home for the Blue Jays, with fans from British Columbia cramming into T-Mobile Park for Toronto’s yearly visit to Seattle. However, pricier playoff tickets and a potential limit on online sales to out-of-region fans may make the confines friendlier for the home team.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 10, 2025