In 1976, there were only 24 teams in all of Major League Baseball. Way back in 1960, MLB identified eight potential expansion cities: Toronto, Seattle, Atlanta, Buffalo, Dallas–Fort Worth, Denver, Oakland, and San Diego. All would eventually get teams, except Buffalo, where the Blue Jays AAA team now plays.
In 1977, The Toronto Blue Jays and Seattle Mariners began play, both in the American League. It was Toronto's first MLB franchise, but Seattle did get a team in 1969, but they weren't the Seattle Mariners. They were the Seattle Pilots, and the team moved to Milwaukee to become the Brewers in 1970.
The 2025 ALCS will feature these 1977 MLB expansion teams. The Mariners have never won a World Series, while you might remember the Jays winning back-2-back in '92 and '93.
This will be fun.
