The 1985 MLB season works well as a *This Week in Baseball* collection because it was driven by contrast: powerhouse clubs on one side, emotional turning points on the other, all unfolding at a pace that rewarded weekly storytelling. In the American League, the Blue Jays’ emergence as a dominant force gave the season a fresh visual identity, with a young, athletic roster that TWIB could return to week after week. At the same time, Kansas City stayed close enough to keep the race relevant, setting up a late-season shift that made the standings feel alive well into September.

The National League provided its own layered narrative. The Cardinals leaned fully into Whitey Herzog’s speed-and-defense blueprint, while the Mets and Dodgers supplied star power and tension just behind them. That mix of styles translated cleanly to highlight television: stolen bases and hit-and-runs on one segment, towering home runs and power pitching on the next. The postseason paid off those threads. Kansas City’s comeback against Toronto in the ALCS and their dramatic World Series win over St. Louis — capped by one of the most controversial games of the decade — gave TWIB a finale rooted in both emotion and debate. For a weekly highlight show, 1985 captured baseball as an evolving story rather than a foregone conclusion, making it especially strong as a season-long archive.