MLB playoff takeaways: Blue Jays win first AL pennant in 32 years

Jeff Hofmann strikes out the side in the ninth

Three outs from the pennant, Hofmann slammed the door shut. Entering with a one-run lead in the ninth, he struck out all three Mariners he faced — capping it off by fanning Julio Rodríguez, who was one of Seattle's best bats in the series, slashing .240/.367/.640 with three home runs.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. wins ALCS MVP

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. was named ALCS MVP after continuing his dominant postseason stretch into the seven-game series against Seattle. He slashed .385/.484/.846 with three home runs, consistently delivering in high-leverage moments.

In Game 7, Guerrero sparked the first inning scoring with a single that moved Springer to second. Springer later scored on Daulton Varsho’s RBI single to tie the game.

Mariners offense falls silent again

After scoring just two runs in Game 6, Seattle’s offense fell flat once more. Despite early solo home run from Rodríguez and Cal Raleigh, the Mariners failed to score after Raleigh’s fifth-inning blast — their third and final run of the game.

Blue Jays win first pennant in 32 years

The Blue Jays became AL champions for the first time since 1993. Toronto overcame a 0–2 deficit in the ALCS, becoming just the fourth team in MLB to do so, and now advance to face the Los Angeles Dodgers in the World Series.

This marks a historic turnaround for Toronto, who finished last in the AL East the previous season — making them the first team since the 2013 Red Sox to reach the World Series one year after a last-place division finish.