Mitch Garver anchors Seattle’s ALCS mood, delivering veteran guidance while embracing a bigger role in a loose, hungry clubhouse. The Rams? Not the team, but the mindset: keep the gas down, execute the small things, and ride a surgically cohesive group toward Seattle’s first World Series in 48 years.

George Kirby starts Game 3 with four days’ rest as Bryan Woo eyes a potential return. The energy centers on Julio Rodríguez’s spark, Garver’s leadership, and a squad that’s refused to panic after leaving Toronto with a 2-0 edge, all while the team’s chemistry fuels calm, relentless pressure at home.

British Columbia’s Mariners fans celebrate a 2-0 ALCS edge over Toronto, turning cross-border chatter into a broader baseball moment as Mariners games become more accessible and the underdog story resonates across Canada.

Personal tales—from Vancouver to Victoria—highlight a fresh, fantasy-friendly narrative: a scrappy Seattle club pushing to finish the job, with cross-border loyalties reshaping how Canadian fans engage with playoff ball.

Josh Naylor, in Seattle's ALCS bid, savors a Toronto challenge while reconnecting with Guardians alums on the Blue Jays: Straw, Sandlin, Gimenez, Clement, and Bieber. The Jays' Cleveland‑influenced culture, shaped by Shapiro and Atkins, adds familiarity as the series hops between Seattle and Toronto.

The Guardians link units depth and versatility into Toronto's roster, affecting bullpen use and late-game plans. For fantasy managers, watch Straw's speed, Gimenez's bat, and Sandlin and Bieber in leverage spots as the cross-border narrative unfolds.

Relief-pitcher values in 12-team NFBC lean on locked-in closers with elite strikeout upside and manageable walks. Chapman wins Boston’s closer role, posting a 1.17 ERA and 0.70 WHIP with a 37% K rate. Estevez led MLB with 42 saves but rising walks and slightly lower velocity hint at regression in 2026. Bednar’s late-season rebound after a Pirates-to-Yankees move underscores both upside and risk in bullpen targets.

Pagan delivered 32 saves for Cincinnati with a sturdy 2.88 ERA and 0.92 WHIP. Morejon logged 13 wins as a full-time reliever for San Diego, offering upside if stretched toward a rotation. The piece also flags depth options and late pivots—Cade Smith, Will Vest, Ronny Henriquez, Dylan Cease, Michael King, Robert Suárez, Mason Miller and Jason Adam—that could reshape bullpen hierarchies next season.