The MLB wild-card era began in 1995 with an iconic series that ended with an iconic photo: Ken Griffey Jr. peeking out from a pile of Seattle Mariners teammates with a smile as big as Mount Rainier after scoring the winning run in the American League Division Series.
Thirty years later, the 2025 season ended with another iconic series and photo: Yoshinobu Yamamoto in the middle of a swarm of his Los Angeles Dodgers teammates, his expression a mix of joy and exhaustion after his legendary performance in winning the final two games of the World Series.