Honestly, if you looked at the mlb postseason bracket 2025 back in April, you’d probably have laughed. A lot. The Seattle Mariners finally ending their division title drought? The Toronto Blue Jays making a run to the World Series? The Dodgers repeating in a sport that hates repeats? It sounds like a fever dream, but that’s exactly what went down.
People tend to think the MLB playoffs are just a coin flip. They aren't. They're a chaotic, high-stakes sprint where a single bad inning from a middle reliever can end a 100-win season. The 2025 bracket was proof that regular-season dominance means zilch once the calendar flips to October.
The Chaos of the Wild Card Rounds
The tournament kicked off on September 30, and the drama didn't wait. In the American League, we saw a classic "grudge match" between the Yankees and Red Sox. Most fans expected the Yankees to cruise, especially with the home-field advantage at the Stadium. Instead, the Red Sox took Game 1, only for the Yankees to claw back and win the next two. That Game 3 was a masterclass by Cam Schlittler, who threw eight shutout innings. It was the first time the Yankees beat the Red Sox in a postseason series in 22 years. Let that sink in.
Over in the National League, the Dodgers—despite being the defending champs—didn't get a bye. They had to fight through the Wild Card round as the No. 3 seed against the Cincinnati Reds. They handled business in two games, but it wasn't exactly "easy." Meanwhile, the Cubs and Padres had a dogfight at Wrigley Field. The Cubs took it in three games, sending a clear message that they were back in the conversation for the first time in years.
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Breaking Down the Division Series Heartbreak
The ALDS and NLDS are where the mlb postseason bracket 2025 really started to fracture. The biggest shocker? The Detroit Tigers. They were the No. 6 seed and had just scrapped past the Guardians. They ran into the Mariners, who were riding the high of their first AL West title since 2001. That series went the full five games. Detroit actually looked like they might pull the upset, but Seattle’s bullpen was just too deep.
In the other AL matchup, Toronto absolutely dismantled the Yankees. The Blue Jays put up 10 runs in Game 1 and 13 in Game 2. It was a bloodbath. If you were a Yankees fan, those first two games in Toronto were basically unwatchable.
The NLDS Grinds
- Milwaukee vs. Chicago: The Brewers were the No. 1 seed in the NL, but the Cubs made them sweat. It took five games for Milwaukee to advance.
- LA vs. Philly: The Dodgers faced a Phillies team that has been a postseason powerhouse lately. The Dodgers took it in four, thanks to a clinical Game 4 victory.
The Championship Series: Two Seven-Game Epics
By the time we got to the LCS, the bracket was narrowed down to four teams: Toronto, Seattle, Milwaukee, and Los Angeles. If you like pitching, the NLCS was your jam. The Dodgers basically shut down the Brewers. They won that series 4-0, a rare sweep in a postseason that was otherwise defined by close calls. Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Shohei Ohtani were just on another planet.
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But the ALCS? That was the stuff of legends. Mariners vs. Blue Jays. Seattle took a 2-0 lead on the road. Then Toronto fought back to tie it. Then Seattle took Game 5. Toronto won Game 6 to force a winner-take-all Game 7. Honestly, the atmosphere at Rogers Centre for Game 7 was the loudest I’ve heard a stadium in years. Toronto won 4-3, punching their ticket to the Fall Classic for the first time since the early 90s.
The World Series: A Game 7 for the History Books
The 2025 World Series was a rematch of sorts for the "Blue" teams of baseball. The Dodgers and the Blue Jays. Toronto had home-field advantage because they finished with 94 wins compared to LA’s 93.
It went the distance. Seven games.
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Game 3 was probably the highlight of the entire mlb postseason bracket 2025. It went 18 innings. Think about that. That’s two full games in one night. The Dodgers eventually won 6-5, but both teams were physically spent by the end of it. Toronto roared back to take a 3-2 series lead, but the Dodgers forced a Game 7 back in Toronto.
In the final game, it was tied 4-4 in the 11th inning. The Dodgers scraped across a run, and then Yamamoto came in to close it out. He induced a game-ending double play from Alejandro Kirk, and just like that, the Dodgers became the first team in 25 years to win back-to-back titles.
Surprising Stats from the 2025 Bracket
You sort of expect the big names to show up, and they did—Ohtani was the NL MVP for a reason. But the depth of this postseason was the real story.
- Only two sweeps occurred in the entire bracket.
- The World Series and ALCS both went to Game 7.
- Two Division Series went to Game 5.
- Toronto outscored opponents by 32 runs but still lost the World Series.
What You Should Do Now
If you're looking to prep for the 2026 season based on what we saw in the mlb postseason bracket 2025, here are the actionable takeaways:
- Watch the Central Divisions: Both the NL and AL Central teams (Tigers, Guardians, Brewers, Cubs) proved that the "weak" divisions are actually breeding grounds for gritty playoff teams. Don't sleep on them in your 2026 picks.
- Value Bullpen Depth Over Star Starters: The Mariners and Dodgers didn't just win with starters; they won because their 6th and 7th inning guys could throw 99 mph with movement.
- Check the Rivalry Schedule: MLB changed the 2025 schedule to include more "prime" interleague rivalries. Keep an eye on those head-to-head records early in 2026, as they determined home-field advantage for the Blue Jays this year.
- Follow the Waiver Wire: Several key contributors for the Tigers and Reds were mid-season pickups. The bracket isn't just built in the offseason; it’s built in July and August.
The 2025 postseason was a reminder that while the Dodgers might have the highest payroll, the gap between the "elites" and the rest of the league is getting smaller every single year.