The Detroit Tigers last won the World Series in 1984. That celebratory moment took place more than two years before President Ronald Reagan uttered the words, “Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!” The Seattle Mariners have never competed in the Fall Classic during their 48-year existence and last advanced to the American League Championship Series in 2001. Beyonce was still in Destiny's Child at the time.
Simply put, the world has changed dramatically since both MLB teams reached their respective peaks. Needless to say, the stakes are high in Game 5 of the AL Division Series. The winner will battle the top-seeded Toronto Blue Jays for the pennant, an opportunity that neither fans base should take for granted following years of disappointment.
Feelings of excitement and desperation will wrestle with one another inside T-Mobile Park on Friday night, as the baseball-watching public bears witness to what will be the final game of the year for one club. Champagne will flow, and a drought will continue. Tension is palpable in every do-or-die matchup, but considering that neither Seattle nor Detroit have been October mainstays of late, this one should pack an especially potent dose of drama.
Game 5 between the Mariners and Tigers has the potential to be quite special. We are going to dig a little deeper and make three bold predictions that, if proven true, should create a fittingly suspenseful atmosphere in The Emerald City.
Josh Naylor will get a big hit late for Mariners
Life has changed a bit for the veteran first baseman over the last few postseasons. He went from the guy who broke out a rock-the-baby home run celebration during the 2022 ALDS (with his team trailing in the game) to a man who just welcomed an actual baby into the world during the 2025 ALDS.
Josh Naylor is still a polarizing figure to a degree — recently drew criticism for blatantly relaying signs to a batter from second base — but one could argue that he is presently the best version of himself. That is especially true from a baseball standpoint.
The forthcoming free agent posted a .295 batting average and .816 OPS with 20 home runs, 92 RBIs and 30 stolen bases in 147 games with the Mariners and Arizona Diamondbacks. Naylor morphed into a complete hitter this year, helping Seattle surpass the Houston Astros to win its first divisional title in 24 years. He earned himself a sizable amount of money in the process. The only thing left for him to do now is come through in the playoffs.
The 28-year-old Canadian owns an inadequate .642 OPS in 95 postseason at-bats and is just 3-for-17 with one extra-base hit in this series. I believe he is poised for a breakthrough, though, and not merely because he is in the throes of a slump. I am also not sold on the “new dad strength” term that some people will inevitably mention if Naylor goes yard in Game 5. No, I am going with the most logical explanation. He has the right skill set for October baseball.
The All-Star can hit for contact, a trait that becomes extremely valuable when pitching ramps up in the postseason. Naylor's offensive balance raises Seattle's lineup to truly imposing heights, and I foresee it coming into play in the series finale. Whether it is against Tarik Skubal, Will Vest or another Detroit hurler, this midseason addition is positioned to awaken from his slumber and ignite the home crowd with a clutch knock.
Josh Naylor will spoil another masterful outing by the man many consider to be the best pitcher in the sport today.
Skubal tosses a gem, but Tigers still fall short
One of the more surprising and potentially revealing statistics of the MLB campaign is that the Tigers have lost all three games their ace and soon-to-be two-time Cy Young Award winner has pitched against the Mariners in 2025. Skubal labored in two regular season starts, allowing seven runs on 10 hits in 10 2/3 innings, but he was excellent in Game 2 of the ALDS last Sunday.
The stellar left-hander recorded nine strikeouts and one walk in seven innings, remaining calm in a rowdy T-Mobile Park. His only real blemishes came via two Jorge Polanco solo home runs, which allowed Seattle to stay in front while Detroit struggled to gain momentum in the batter's box. A Spencer Torkelson double tied the score in the eighth, but Julio Rodriguez answered right back with a timely two-bagger of his own. I envision a similar pattern unfolding in Game 5.
Skubal will once again give manager AJ Hinch a lengthy and overall superb outing, only to watch the Mariners eke out a victory in front of their endlessly patient fans. Although the 2024 Triple Crown winner led MLB with a 1.97 ERA this year and finished tied for fourth in innings pitched (195 1/3), he had only a 13-6 record.
I predict that Detroit's inability to maximize Tarik Skubal's greatness, which can partly be attributed to a lineup that accumulated the fifth-most strikeouts (1,454), will rear its ugly head one last time this season. The 28-year-old will receive endless praise, but he will have no interest in taking a bow after what could be a crushing playoffs elimination.
A Seattle ALDS win will require an exceptional amount of grit and endurance. Enter Andres Munoz.
The Mariners closer goes warrior mode to outlast the Tigers
Munoz completed two innings in a game for only the second time of his big-league career last Saturday, doing everything in his power to keep the M's afloat in what turned out to be a series-opening, extra-innings loss. He followed that flawless appearance with two more perfect innings across Games 2 and 3, staying active in the most critical point of the year. With the season mired in uncertainty, Seattle has every reason to place a great amount of trust in its closer.
Whenever manager Dan Wilson decides to pull starter George Kirby, the focus should be on building a bridge to the eighth inning. Munoz is well-rested, having not pitched since Tuesday. Furthermore, he has thrown only 48 pitches in four outings this postseason. The two-time All-Star should be prepared to toss two innings once again.
While that is a lot to ask, this is the time to make lofty requests. Andres Munoz is untouchable right now. The Mariners should put their ALCS hopes on his elite slider, for no one else is presently more worthy of the privilege and responsibility than the Mexican righty.
Is it a gamble? Sure, but the team will not want to leave this Game 5 clash wondering what could have been. The franchise and fandom have waited too long to leave any business unfinished. The reward for believing in the man they call Senor Smoke might wind up being a franchise-rejuvenating trip to Toronto.
