Cara Sjogren, advisor
A witch, a salmon race and a knit sweater walked into October baseball. No, this isn’t a joke — it’s how the 2025 MLB playoffs became one of the best storytelling seasons in years.
The new year is about reflection, and we’re still reeling from the postseason. The Seattle Mariners made their deepest playoff run ever, reaching Game 7 of the American League Championship Series (ALCS), just one win shy of their first World Series appearance. Viewership hit its highest level since 2017, with fans tuning in from around the world.
The 2025 playoffs reminded marketers and sports fans alike that the best stories aren’t crafted in a boardroom — they’re discovered in the stands.
Playoff sports are always full of narratives worth following. But beyond the obvious ones — the Mariners chasing their first World Series berth, Shohei Ohtani and the Dodgers playing for back-to-back titles — this postseason delivered stories no one could have planned.
The Mariners, in particular, had several standout moments:
- It all started with an Etsy witch, or rather, a fan who paid a witch on Etsy to “fix the Mariners.” After sharing the spell on social media, Seattle went on a hot streak, winning their division and earning a first-round bye. The team joined the fun, posting an 18–2 blowout over the Braves with the caption, “Shoutout to the Etsy witch.” Soon, tees were printed, memes spread and fans showed up in witchy attire.
- In Game 3 of the ALCS, a Mariners fan wore a “Dump 61 Here” tee and ended up catching Cal Raleigh’s 61st home run of the season — then pulled it off to reveal a “Dump 62” shirt underneath. You couldn’t script that kind of perfect follow-up.
- Meanwhile, in Toronto, a Blue Jays fan became a postseason legend for knitting a team sweater throughout every game. She finished the final stitch during Game 7 of the World Series, and all of Canada was watching to see if she’d beat the clock.
- And then there was Humpy— the lovable salmon mascot who had never won the in-stadium Salmon Run. During the 14th inning of a tense Game 5 against Detroit, Humpy finally crossed the line first. The exhausted crowd roared, the Mariners caught fire, and the team rallied to win a 15-inning thriller. The call reportedly came from the Mariners’ marketing team, who knew the fans needed a spark. It was a perfect example of a brand reading the moment (and their audience) just right.
Each of these stories has one thing in common: they happened organically. None were manufactured or pre-planned. The teams listened to their audiences, embraced the energy and built those viral moments into their larger story. That’s how community is built — not through control, but through connection.
Key Learnings
- Listen to your audience
- Engage with your audience
- Help your audience feel like part of the team — because they are
When teams and brands stop trying to own the story and start participating in it, they don’t just win attention, they win loyalty. Bring on the Mariners’ 2026 season.
As a JayRay advisor and proud Mariners obsessive, Cara Sjogren knows a thing or two about hope, heartbreak and heroic storytelling — whether it’s in marketing strategy or October baseball.