There is not precisely a components for a extremely good baseball recreation. That mentioned, there’s one factor plenty of all-time traditional ballgames have in frequent, and that is a extremely good ending.
Stroll-offs get a lot of the glory on this division. A walk-off house run is, in spite of everything, baseball’s mic drop. However epic endings can are available any type, as long as the sequence of occasions leaves us reeling.
We’ll say this for the 2025 MLB season; it by no means didn’t shock us. Of all of this previous season’s unlikely, chaotic and infrequently weird recreation endings, this is a take a look at MLB Community’s Prime 20.
20. July 2: Blue Jays over Yankees, 11-9 (Watch)The Blue Jays, up 7-0 via the primary inning, finally discovered themselves dealing with a 9-9 tie as they got here to bat within the backside of the eighth. Cue chaos; through a wild pitch and an RBI single from Addison Barger, the Blue Jays pulled right into a tie atop the AL East, having closed an eight-game hole in a 32-game span.
19. Aug. 1: Rockies over Pirates, 17-16 (Watch)You would most likely run 1000’s of simulations for this recreation — performed by the 2 lowest-scoring groups in baseball this yr — and by no means get a outcome like this. And but, right here in actuality, two groups that averaged nicely beneath 4 runs a recreation did mix for 33 in a single night, and the Rockies, who misplaced 119 video games, managed the most important comeback win of 2025 after giving up 9 runs within the prime of the primary. It solely took a five-run ninth inning, capped off by Brenton Doyle’s walk-off house run.
18. Sept. 5: Mets over Reds, 5-4 (Watch)The ultimate NL Wild Card berth was in the end claimed by the Reds, however they did so through tiebreaker, and this was Sport 1 of an early-September sequence that might settle their head-to-head file with the Mets. On this recreation, although, New York survived. Edwin DÃaz loaded the bases with no person out within the ninth, then swapped footwear in entrance of the mound, and proceeded to drag a rabbit out of his hat for an inconceivable victory.
17. April 22: Cubs over Dodgers, 11-10 (10) (Watch)The Cubs gave nearly as good as they acquired early on within the recreation however nonetheless discovered themselves dealing with a 10-7 deficit after the Dodgers’ five-run outburst within the seventh. No downside — a two-run homer from Kyle Tucker within the eighth would convey them inside a run, and later, all the way down to their remaining out, Miguel Amaya would crush a game-tying house run off Tanner Scott. Tied at 10 runs apiece within the backside of the tenth — what a delight — Ian Happ lastly put an finish to the battle with a walk-off single.
16. July 8: Giants over Phillies, 4-3 (Watch)Oracle Park’s proper subject wall is a confirmed agent of chaos; even so, the chances of a scuffling catcher hitting an inside-the-park house run are astronomical beneath any circumstances. And but mentioned catcher, Patrick Bailey, did in reality hit a first-pitch, walk-off inside-the-parker off Jordan Romano on this recreation. Stranger nonetheless, he had two professional photographs at making this checklist: He’d later hit a walk-off grand slam on Sept. 12.
15. NLDS Sport 4: Dodgers over Phillies, 2-1 (11) (Watch)Proof that “finest” is a relative time period, Sport 4’s ending was a real intestine punch. In a 1-1 recreation within the eleventh, the Phillies wanted only one out towards the underside of the Dodgers order to increase their season for yet one more inning. It was right here that Orion Kerkering entered out of the bullpen, and after issuing a stroll to load the bases, acquired Andy Pages to floor a ball again to the mound. Fatefully, Kerkering’s throw house sailed, and the Dodgers superior to the NLCS.
14. NLCS Sport 1: Dodgers over Brewers, 2-1 (Watch)Though not as high-stakes as a possible elimination recreation, the best way Sport 1 of the NLCS ended needs to be thought of one of many larger “what may have been and nearly was” baseball moments in latest reminiscence. Up with two outs and the bases loaded within the backside of the ninth, all Brice Turang needed to do to tie the sport was attain — any means would do, and as luck would have it, Dodgers reliever Blake Treinen could not discover the plate. The fourth pitch of the at-bat strayed nicely inside, almost granting Turang a game-tying RBI hit by pitch. However Turang’s instincts had already taken over — he dodged the wayward sweeper, then struck out on Treinen’s subsequent providing.
13. Might 13: Tigers over Crimson Sox, 10-9 (11) (Watch)Javier Báez had already left a mark on the night’s back-and-forth, a three-run house run within the backside of the sixth that had, on the time, given the Tigers a 6-4 lead. However the Crimson Sox had re-tied the sport within the eighth to ship the sport to extras, and by the point Báez got here to the plate within the backside of the eleventh, the Tigers have been trailing, 9-7. Luckily, they’d, once more, put two males on in entrance of him.
12. Aug. 1: Marlins over Yankees, 13-12 (Watch)Much less a case of the Marlins outlasting the Yankees and extra one of many Marlins’ lineup outlasting their pitching, nobody managed to carry a lead on this recreation (actually!) But it surely was the upstart Marlins who have been down 6-0 via the highest of the fourth, 9-4 via the highest of the seventh, and eventually 12-10 after they despatched their seven, eight and 9 hitters to the plate main off the underside of the ninth. Naturally, on this recreation that featured totally an excessive amount of offense, together with six house runs, the game-winner was a walk-off fielder’s alternative.
11. 2025 All-Star Sport: NL wins in first swing-off (Watch)The legendary All-Star Sport swing-off was launched as a part of the 2022 Collective Bargaining Settlement, and for 3 years, it went unused. In 2025, we lastly acquired our first take a look at the Residence Run Derby-esque tiebreaker, and it was, really, every little thing we may have hoped, all due to Kyle Schwarber, who along with his three swings crushed three house runs for the Nationwide League.
10. Sept. 26: Crimson Sox over Tigers, 4-3 (Watch)Boston snapped a three-year postseason drought in epic style. Ceddanne Rafaela’s shot to heart subject eluded a leaping Parker Meadows on the wall, sending Romy Gonzalez on a mad sprint across the bases. Rafaela’s heroics have been simply the capper in a dramatic recreation that noticed the Crimson Sox erase an early 3-0 deficit, scoring a run in every of the ultimate three frames. And it is not the one time that the dynamic Rafaela incited bedlam at Fenway Park, both.
9. July 11: Crimson Sox over Rays, 5-4 (Watch)A middling workforce for the primary few months of final season, the Crimson Sox caught fireplace shortly earlier than the All-Star break, using a seven-game successful streak right into a Friday night time showdown towards the Rays. Tampa Bay was on the verge of placing that streak to mattress, handing the ball to nearer Pete Fairbanks to guard a one-run lead within the ninth inning. After Roman Anthony drew a five-pitch stroll, the red-hot Rafaela despatched a two-strike slider into orbit. Rafaela’s shot soared over the Inexperienced Monster, a Statcast-projected 406 toes, to ship Boston to an eighth straight win.
8. Aug. 16: Brewers over Reds, 6-5 (11) (Watch)The 97-win Brewers appeared invincible at a number of factors all through the 2025 season, however no extra so than this night time in Cincinnati. Milwaukee’s 13-game successful streak was squarely on the road within the ninth inning. However Sal Frelick beat out a possible game-ending double play ball, and when Elly De La Cruz uncorked a wild throw, Brice Turang sprinted house with the tying run. As if that wasn’t Brewers-esque sufficient, the unlikeliest of heroes got here via within the eleventh inning. Andruw Monasterio launched a go-ahead three-run house run, propelling Milwaukee to its 14th straight win and setting a brand new franchise file.
7. Sept. 20: Mariners over Astros, 6-4 (Watch)In latest historical past, the American League West has run via Houston. It most definitely hasn’t gone via Seattle, which final gained the division title in 2001. However the tides turned in late September, when the Mariners swept a three-game sequence from the Astros at Daikin Park. Victor Robles did his finest Superman impression to finish Saturday’s thriller, making a sensational diving catch in proper subject to rob Carlos Correa of a base hit. Then, Robles doubled up Jake Meyers at second base to slam the door. The double play gave Seattle its thirteenth win in 14 video games and a two-game cushion within the AL West, paving the best way for a long-awaited division crown.
6. ALCS Sport 7: Blue Jays 4, Mariners 3 (Watch)The Blue Jays know a factor or two about epic house runs, from Joe Carter touching ’em all to Jose Bautista sending his bat into orbit. That is the legendary firm that George Springer joined with a swing that will probably be eternally etched in franchise lore. Springer’s three-run house run off Eduard Bazardo within the seventh inning of Sport 7 of the ALCS flipped the sport on its head, turning a 3-1 deficit right into a 4-3 lead. The Rogers Centre shook all the best way to the ultimate out, because the Jays rode Springer’s blast to their first World Sequence look since 1993.
5. ALDS Sport 5: Mariners 3, Tigers 2 (15) (Watch)In a really epic winner-take-all recreation that lasted 298 minutes and noticed 15 totally different pitchers used, Jorge Polanco performed hero with a walk-off single. Polanco’s hit was simply the fifteenth walk-off hit in a winner-take-all recreation in MLB postseason historical past, the primary winner-take-all postseason recreation to ever go greater than 13 innings. This nail-biter noticed a little bit of every little thing, from a dominant Tarik Skubal to 4 pitchers showing out of the bullpen after beginning a recreation earlier within the sequence. In the long run, the M’s clinched their first journey to the ALCS since 2001 on an unforgettable night time at T-Cell Park.
4. Sept. 6: Orioles over Dodgers, 4-3 (Watch)The Orioles did one thing that no workforce has achieved within the growth period (since 1961) after they gained a recreation after breaking apart a no-hit bid when all the way down to their remaining out. Sure, you learn that accurately. That is the type of wackiness that transpired at Camden Yards, when Yoshinobu Yamamoto — in a becoming prelude for the October dominance to return — held Baltimore hitless for 8 2/3 innings. However Jackson Holliday’s house run broke up the no-hitter and knocked Yamamoto out of the sport in a single fell swoop. From there, 5 straight O’s hitters reached towards two totally different Dodgers pitchers, culminating in a game-winning hit from Emmanuel Rivera to finish probably the most inconceivable comebacks you may ever see.
3. World Sequence Sport 6: Dodgers over Blue Jays, 3-1 (Watch)Kiké Hernández has largely crafted the legend of Playoff Kiké along with his bat. However on this night time, with the Dodgers’ title protection on the road, Hernández salvaged a season along with his glove. L.A. clenched a two-run lead within the backside of the ninth inning, because the Jays put two males in scoring place with only one out. Andrés Giménez lofted a shallow popup into left subject, the place Hernández was positioned completely, due to a pre-pitch adjustment. He made the catch on the run and fired a one-hop strike to second base, the place Miguel Rojas held onto the ball to double up Addison Barger. The epic ending set the stage for the Dodgers’ second straight World Sequence title, which they’d accomplish through an much more epic ending the subsequent night time.
2. World Sequence Sport 7: Dodgers over Blue Jays, 5-4 (11) (Watch)The final word ending, if you’ll. And what an ending it was. Unsurprisingly, the World Sequence was gained on the margins — the Blue Jays had their nearer, Jeff Hoffman, on the mound within the prime of the ninth with a one-run lead, two outs away, when Miguel Rojas (and his profession .362 SLG) hit his game-tying house run. One other solo house run from Will Smith was what in the end sealed their destiny, however it almost wasn’t sufficient to place the Dodgers forward for good — Toronto put males on first and third earlier than hitting right into a season-ending, series-clinching double play.
1. World Sequence Sport 3: Dodgers over Blue Jays, 6-5 (18) (Watch)On an inventory of one of the best endings of the season, how may an 11-inning Sport 7 state of affairs come second to any recreation? We might have requested the identical query earlier than we skilled the honest-to-goodness warfare of attrition that was Sport 3 of the identical sequence. With the scoring frozen from the eighth inning on, legends have been born, unlikely heroes have been made and viewers the world over slowly forgot that there was ever a time earlier than Blue Jays-Dodgers. Six hours and 39 minutes of nail-biting later (our cuticles won’t ever be the identical), Freddie Freeman lastly did what he had one yr and two days earlier, in the identical ballpark, towards a special AL East workforce — coming via with a genuinely merciful walk-off house run within the backside of the 18th.
