Seattle clinched the AL West for the first time in 24 years behind a deep, young core and a late-season surge that owners hoped would come. A quirky subplot—an Etsy witch named SpellByLuna—aligned with a breakout stretch that featured Julio Rodríguez’s standout performances and Cal Raleigh’s 60th homer to seal the division.

The front office reshaped the roster with Eugenio Suárez and Josh Naylor, the rotation and bullpen found health and depth, and a 9-1 homestand propelled Seattle toward a first-round bye. The city finally has October anticipation again, and the franchise is poised to chase a long-awaited playoff run.

Atlanta will honor Charlie Morton with a season-ending appearance, letting him take the mound in the finale against Pittsburgh and walk off with his Braves chapter closed on his own terms.

Morton, who split 2025 between Baltimore and Detroit, owns a 5.89 ERA over 26 starts; the Braves describe the moment as a dignified send-off, not a playoff gambit as October arrives.

After Morton’s cameo, Chris Sale will enter for his scheduled appearance, turning the moment into a tribute to the 2021 World Series era and to Morton’s lasting influence on the clubhouse and franchise.

Atlanta’s 2025 season ends with a playoff miss, but a nine-game win streak reframes the narrative. The Braves sit at 74-83, 6.5 back in the Wild Card chase, yet their flawless nine-game stretch (no errors, sub-five runs per game, and a +46 run differential) signals elite talent and a potential title window reopening in 2026.

Ronald Acuña Jr. anchors the lineup alongside a resurgent Chris Sale atop a deep rotation. Matt Olson, Drake Baldwin, Sean Murphy, Austin Riley and Michael Harris II finish strong, while Spencer Strider eyes a bounce-back after Tommy John. The run also included wins over Nationals, Tigers and Astros, underscoring their capacity to spoil division races.

For fantasy managers, the Houston, Detroit and Seattle tests in 2026 loom as a gauge of Braves’ ceiling. Expect Acuña’s multi-category impact to lead, with Sale and Strider as key rotation anchors and Olson/Harris II maintaining high-year upside.