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Blue Jays: Who would you rather face in the ALCS: Mariners or Tigers?

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With the Blue Jays punching their ticket to the ALCS for the first time since 2016, it brings an important question: who’s next?

Naturally, it may not matter so much, as we all know when October hits, the season basically starts from scratch, but who’s to say pre-scouting isn’t a good idea? Let’s see the two teams in the mix and what they both bring to the table.

Seattle Mariners:

It feels like forever ago since the 2022 wild card game, doesn’t it?

It feels like a complete blip to some Blue Jays fans, but to others, the sting of that defeat still looms large. In the season series, the Blue Jays edge Seattle by a game as they beat them 4-2 across six games split between the two cities. Granted, the last time the two teams faced off was back in May in Seattle, and a lot has changed since then. Seattle can look to make their first appearance in the ALCS since their legendary 2001 season.

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Seattle won the American League West and has a very talented group of hitters in their lineup. If we turn the clock back to 2022, a lot of the same names are still here, and the Blue Jays got the first look at what catcher Cal Raleigh is all about. In the pair of games in Toronto, Raleigh went four for eight, collecting a double, a home run and three RBIs to show for it in that Wild Card series. Raleigh has only gotten better, and his battery mates are also going to be causing a problem.

The Blue Jays will have to face the reacquired Eugenio Suarez, who went four for nine with a pair of doubles and two RBIs in 2022. So far of both batters for the Mariners, the big dumper is by far having a strong p2025 ostseason, hitting .438 with a home run and a team-leading four RBIs; he also leads the team with an OPS of 1.188. The rest of the Mariners squad is only hitting .219 as a collective unit thus far, with them striking out 38 times combined.

With the Mariners, pitching is their key. Having a rotation with Logan Gilbert, George Kirby, Luis Castillo, and Bryce Miller is an absolute powerhouse for the postseason, and that doesn’t include Bryan Woo, who is currently on the sidelines. The rotation alone has only surrendered five runs across 20 innings of work. The bullpen, on the other hand, has struggled on the mound, surrendering 12 runs across four postseason games for the Mariners. While they have very solid arms out of the bullpen, such as closer Andres Munoz, a shaky relief corps can be something the Blue Jays take advantage of, like they did against the Yankees in the ALDS.

Detroit Tigers:

Much like the New York Yankees before them, the Jays and Detroit Tigers have never waged battle in the postseason before. A win on Friday night can lead to a new beginning as Detroit can be in the ALCS for the first time since 2013 against the Boston Red Sox.  The Blue Jays’ regular-season record against the Tigers sits at 4-3 for the Canadian squad.

The biggest issue Blue Jays: Who would you rather face in the ALCS: Mariners or Tigers?faces is by far the looming Tarik Skubal. The reigning and probable repeating Cy Young Award winner is by far the pitcher the team would like to avoid facing as much as possible. According to Jon Morosi, should the Tigers win game 5, the Blue Jays would not face Skubal until game three in Detroit, as well as a possible game seven should the series call for it in Toronto.

Skubal in the postseason alone has a 1.84 ERA in two starts with 23 strikeouts across 14 2/3 innings pitched. While he is 0-1 in his career against them in the regular season, Skubal has recorded 17 strikeouts of Blue Jay batters across 14 innings of work. Other starters, such as Jack Flaherty, who is 5-1 vs Toronto with a 2.08 ERA and 42 strikeouts, are also looming.

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Hitting-wise is where the Tigers have had a rough go of it, like the Mariners. Collectively, the team is hitting .218 with the team striking out 71 times during their postseason run. Their best hitter on the team this playoffs has by far been Javier Baez, who’s hitting .346 with a home run and is second on the team with five RBIs. As a team, the Tigers are hitting .192 with runners in scoring position, which is not good for a team that wants to go on a deep playoff run. It’s clear that pitching is going to be a key strength for this team should they punch their ticket to the next round.