I'm not sure I can remember a more dramatic collection of Divisional Series. The Phillies were eliminated on a heartbreaking play in the bottom of the 11th, when they were so close to forcing a Game Five in Philly. The Tigers pushed the Mariners for over five hours, before finally losing 3-2 in the bottom of the 15th. And, after falling behind two games to nothing, the Cubs fought back with two wins in a row before losing 3-1 in Milwaukee.
So now there are only four teams left: the Dodgers, the Brewers, the Blue Jays, and the Mariners. The Dodgers are a traditional power. But the Brewers haven't reached the World Series since 1982, the Blue Jays haven't been there since 1993, and the Mariners have never been there. Remember these facts when they shut down MLB in 2027 on the grounds that we need more parity.
Toronto and Seattle begin things tonight. They both joined MLB in the same year -- 1977, a great year for sports. Here's how they've done:
Toronto: 3,855-3,856 (.4999), 2 World Championships, 2 Pennants
Top Nine Blue Jays by wins above replacement:
1. Dave Steib: 56.8
2. Roy Halliday: 48.0 (only Blue Jay with a retired number)
3. Jose Bautista: 38.4
4. Tony Fernandez: 37.5
5. Carlos Delgado: 36.8
6. Jimmy Key: 29.6
7. Jesse Barfield: 29.5
8. Vernon Wells: 28.7
9. Pat Hentgen: 26.5
Toronto's record in the ALCS (2-5): 1985, 1989, 1991, 1992, 1993, 2015, 2016
Seattle: 3,689-4,022 (.478), 0 World Championships, 0 Pennants
Top Nine Mariners by wins above replacement:
1. Ken Griffey, Jr.: 70.6
2. Edgar Martinez: 68.4
3. Ichiro Suzuki: 56.4
4. Felix Hernandez: 49.8
5. Randy Johnson: 39.0
6. Alex Rodriguez: 38.1
7. Kyle Seager: 37.0
8. Jamie Moyer: 34.4
9. Robinson Cano: 23.9
Seattle's record in the ALCS (0-3): 1995, 2000, 2001