Mei Pearl Holmes-Selby | Sports Editor
October 10, 2025
The MLB Playoffs started off as a two team World Series in 1903, it expanded to a four team Championship in 1969, and then an eight team Division Series in 1994, and finally adding the Wild Card in 1995, increasing the number of teams to ten and then twelve in 2022. With the addition of the Wild Card, the top two teams from the American League and National League get a “bye” so they go straight to the Division Series, while four highest ranking teams from each division play in the Wild Card where they compete in a best-of-three series. In the Division Series, the two “bye” teams played against the two teams who advanced from the Wild Card. Then those two who win, best-of-five games, in the Division Series, advance to the Championship Series which is a best-of-seven games. Finally, the champion from the American League and the National League face off in the World Championship.
For the National League, the Philadelphia Phillies and Milwaukee Brewers received a bye, as they are the top two seeded teams. While the Seattle Mariners and Toronto Blue Jays got a bye for the American League. This put the Detroit Tigers against the Cleveland Guardians (DET wins 2-1), and the Boston Red Sox against the New York Yankees (NYY wins 2-1). While the NLWC lined up the previous World Series Champion, the LA Dodgers with the Cincinnati Reds (LAD wins 2-0), and San Diego Padres with the Chicago Cubs (CHC wins 2-1).
These games will bring us into the Division Series where the Mariners lead against the Tigers, and the Blue Jays lead against the Yankees for the ALDS, and the Dodgers pitted against the Phillies with a 2-0 lead, and the Brewers leading the Cubs for the NLDS. This week, October 6-11 will determine who advances from the Division Series to the Championship Series. As the Toronto Blue Jays advance to the American League Championship Series, the big question stands if the Mariners will make it as well, as the last time they made it was in 2001 when they lost 4-1 to the New York Yankees. Hey at least they made it to the playoffs, the Angels are at rock bottom in the AL…
On October 9th, the Dodgers and Phillies had a stand off in the 11th inning during a thrilling game, as it first started out as a pitching duel between Tyler Glasnow and Christopher Sanchez, and then in the seventh inning the Phillies tied with the Dodgers. In the 11th inning, Andy Pages hit a low grounder with the bases loaded, with Kerkering trying to throw homebase out, to prevent the run from scoring, soared past Phillies catcher, Realmuto, allowing for the Dodgers to advance to the Championship.
A San Clemente High School, sophomore, Isy Berg, has “been a [Dodgers] fan since birth,” as she has always been attending “their games since [she] was young.” Not surprisingly, she believes the Dodgers “will win if [their] bullpen can pull through.” Oh no she used an actual baseball term! What is a bullpen? A bullpen is the warm up mound for the relief pitchers, and is another term for that group of…well, relief pitchers.
Freshman and Dodgers fan (yes… another one) Morgan Ball, loved “the unique atmosphere of the fans that occur when two top teams play each other,” as rivals face off on the field, near the hot-dog stand and on couches at home.
With the ties between the Cubs and the Brewers and the ties between the Mariners and the Tigers, the lingering questions remain. Who will advance to the Championship? Will it be the Mariners for the first time since 2001, the Tigers since 2012, the Brewers since 2018, or the Cubs since 2016? And more importantly, will the Dodgers remain World Champions?
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