As the Major League Baseball post-season gets underway, there is much to be excited about.
Let's start with the Blue Jays.
They pulled the trigger at the trade deadline, landing potential Cy Young-winner David Price from Detroit. The price was steep, giving up a handful of strong-armed lefty prospects.
They made a key change in the infield, acquiring Troy Tulowitzki from Colorado for Jose Reyes. The talents these two brought, along with some excellent clubhouse attitude has been a huge factor in Toronto winning its first divisional title in 22 years.
The team has also put up some eye-popping offensive numbers, led by a trio of first-class homerun sluggers in Josh Donaldson, Jose Bautista and Edwin Encarnacion.
The Jays powerful run since the all-star break has been a great tonic for fans here and all over the country.
But, the season also saw the New York Mets finally live up to their potential.
They also made a key deal at the deadline, and Yoenis Cespedes has put up MVP-type numbers since arriving from Detroit.
The high-spending Washington Nationals will learn the hard way that shelling out the dollars doesn't always equate to on-field success.
The Cubs are finally back to respectability, with a mix of very good young players including one that Thunder Bay fans were able to see develop a few years back during the World Juniors, Jorge Soler.
The Pittsburgh Pirates put together another quality season, trouble is they have to play in the same division as the perennially strong St. Louis Cardinals.
And, you have to like the Houston Astros for many of the same reasons as the Cubs, and also the Texas Rangers who battled hard and climbed the ladder during the season.
Other Individual highlights include Bryce Harper of the Nationals showing he is definitely the real deal, and the Cubs Jake Arrietta shining brightly in the pitching-rich National League.
It should be a great October, and remember that you will see a few players who developed at one time in the Northwoods league like the Jays Ryan Goins, so it's a good reminder to think about your Border Cats 2016 season tickets as well.
