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Throughout its history,Major League Baseballrivalries have occurred between many teams and cities. Rivalries have arisen for many reasons, the primary ones including geographic proximity, familiarity with opponents, various incidents, and cultural, linguistic, or national pride.
In the "Original 16" era (1901–1960), there were 8 teams in each league and teams in each league played each other 22 times a season.[1] With the second American League incarnation of theWashington Senators (now the Texas Rangers) and theLos Angeles Angels entering play as expansion teams in1961, MLB increased the total number of games American League teams played to 162, which meant teams would play each other 18 times a season.[1] TheNational League did not implement this until the following year when theNew York Mets andHouston Colt .45s (now the Houston Astros) entered play.[1]
In1969, with theSan Diego Padres,Seattle Pilots,Kansas City Royals, andMontreal Expos entering play as expansion teams, MLB split both leagues into two divisions with six teams each.[2] Teams played a total of 90 intra-divisional games, playing teams within the division 18 times each, and 72 inter-divisional games, playing each team in the other division 12 times.[3][4] However, in1977, the addition of theSeattle Mariners andToronto Blue Jays reduced the number of intra-divisional gamesAmerican League teams played to 78, as each team would play each team within the division 13 times.[4] However, they still played each team in the other division 12 times, but the total number of inter-divisional games increased to 84.[4] The National League did not institute this until1993, when theFlorida Marlins andColorado Rockies entered play.[4]
In1994, MLB split each league into three divisions,[5] but kept the 1993 format in scheduling.[6] In1997, with MLB adoptinginterleague play,[7] the schedules were changed.[8] The schedule for interleague play comprised 84 three-game series, namely six series (eighteen games) for each of fourteen AL teams and as many as six for each of sixteen NL teams.
MLB changed its scheduling format in2001, further intensifying division matchups throughout the league.[9] The new "unbalanced schedule" allowed for additional games in each season between divisional rivals, replacing additional series with teams outside the division.[10] Due to the change, division rivals now played each other 17 or more times each season.[11] The scheduling drew criticism both when it was enacted and after the fact, with some analysts even positing that the unbalanced schedulehurt intra-divisional play.[12]
With the Astros moving to theAmerican League West in2013, MLB changed its scheduling formula as a result of each division having five teams.[13] Teams play a total of 76 intra-divisional games, playing teams within the division 19 times each, and six or seven games against other teams in their leagues and 20 interleague games.[13] The move of the Astros led to interleague play throughout the season.[13] The number of interleague games against natural rivals was reduced from six to four.[13] Beginning in 2023, intradivisional games were reduced to 13 while teams get three interleague games against each non-natural opponent and four against a natural rival.[14]
In 2025, a new "MLB Rivalry Weekend" was revealed, with the first edition taking place in the third weekend of May. During this weekend, nearly every team plays a designated interleague rival. 12 of the 15 Rivalry Weekend matchups are interleague, with two being intradivision and one being intraleague.
TheYankees–Red Sox rivalry is one of the oldest, most famous, and fiercest rivalries in American sports.[15][16][17] For more than 120 years, theBoston Red Sox andNew York Yankees have been intense rivals.[11]
The rivalry is often a heated subject of conversation in theNortheastern United States.[18] Since the inception of thewild card team and an added Division Series, theAL East rivals have squared off in theAmerican League Championship Series three times: The Yankees won in1999 and2003, and the Red Sox won in2004.[19][20] The two also faced off in theAmerican League Division Series in2018, with the Red Sox winning in four games.[21] The teams most recently played in the2025 American League Wild Card Series, which the Yankees won atYankee Stadium. In addition, the teams have twice met in the last regular-season series of a season to decide the league title, in1904 (when the Red Sox won) and1949 (when the Yankees won).[19]
The teams also finished tied for first in1978, when the Yankees won a high-profileone-game playoff for the division title.[22] The 1978 division race is memorable for the Red Sox having held a 14-game lead over the Yankees more than halfway through the season.[23] Similarly, the 2004 ALCS is famous for the Yankees leading 3–0 and ultimately losing a best-of-7 series.[24]
In 2019, the rivalry was showcased in thefirst London Series, with the Yankees winning both games.[25]
The rivalry is often termed the "greatest rivalry in all of sports."[26] Games between the two teams often generate a great deal of interest and get extensive media coverage, including being broadcast on national television.[27][28] In the stands, it is very common for Yankees fans and Red Sox fans to taunt each other and get into fistfights, so security at both Yankee Stadium and Fenway Park is heavy when either team comes to town.
TheRays–Red Sox rivalry is contested between theTampa Bay Rays andBoston Red Sox. Though this rivalry is more recent than the Yankees–Red Sox rivalry, both teams have regularly competed for the AL East title since 2008, winning it a combined seven times between 2008 and 2021. They have also met in the postseason several times, most recently in2021. Due to this level of close competition, the rivalry has been called one of the most competitive in the modern American League.[29][30][31]
The rivalry between theDetroit Tigers andChicago White Sox is one of the oldest active rivalries in the league today.[32] Both teams joined the American League in 1901 and have actively played one another regularly for over 120 years. There are other professional sports teams rivalries between Chicago and Detroit,[33][34] such as theBulls–Pistons rivalry in theNBA and theBears-Lions rivalry in theNFL. Despite playing one another for over 2,200 games, both teams have yet to meet in the postseason in their 122-year series.[35][36][37]
As of the end of the2025 season, the Tigers lead the series 1,146–1,114–15.
The Twins–White Sox rivalry is contested between theMinnesota Twins andChicago White Sox. Though both teams are charter members of the American League, the rivalry did not begin in earnest until the 2000s, when the White Sox and Twins consistently battled for the AL Central crown. In the 2000s, they combined to win 8 out of the 10 AL Central division titles of the decade. Their most prominent meeting occurred in the2008 American League Central tie-breaker game, which was necessitated by the two clubs finishing the season with identical records.[38][39][40]
TheLone Star Series (also,Silver Boot Series) is aMajor League Baseball rivalry featuring Texas' two major league franchises, theTexas Rangers andHouston Astros. It is an outgrowth of the "natural rivalry" established by MLB as part ofinterleague play as the Rangers are a member of theAmerican League and the Astros were a member of theNational League until2012.
During interleague play, the winner of the 6-game series was awarded the Silver Boot. A 30-inch (760 mm) tall display of a size-15cowboy boot cast in silver, complete with a custom, handmadespur. If the series was split (3–3), the winner was the club which scored the mostruns over the course of the series.
In2013, the Astros were forced into theAmerican League West with the Rangers and changed their rivalry from an interleague to an intra-division rivalry, the Astros played their first game in the American League against the Rangers on Sunday Night Baseball that season.[41][42][43] In 2015, both teams made the playoffs and were in a tight division race during most of the season.[44]
In 2023, the Rangers and Astros qualified for the postseason, marking the first time since 2015 that both teams made the postseason. While both teams finished the regular season with identical records (90–72), the Astros had the better head-to-head record (9–4). As such, the Astros won their third consecutive division title (and sixth in seven years), whilst the Rangers were relegated to the wild card berth. The two teams had their first postseason matchup inthe ALCS. With the visiting team winning every game, the Rangers won the series in seven games en route to their firstWorld Series title, which they achieved by defeating theArizona Diamondbacks in five games.[45][46][47]
TheLos Angeles Angels andAthletics have held a steady rivalry since their relocation to California and to the AL West in 1969. Though not as intense as theDodgers–Giants rivalry equivalent in the National League, the A's and Angels have often been competitive in their own battle for the division through the decades.[48] The peak of the rivalry was during the early part of the millennium as both teams were stellar and perennial contenders. But even then, there were only two down-to-the-wire finishes between the Angels and the A's during that time. During the 2002 season; both teams were proving to be contenders as The A's famous Moneyball tactics led them to a league record 20 game win streak; knocking the Angels out of the 1st seed in the division, finishing 4 games ahead while the Angels secured the Wild Card berth.[49] Despite the 103 win season for Oakland; they fell in an upset to the Minnesota Twins in the ALDS. The Angels managed to pull off a victory over both the New York Yankees and the Minnesota Twins and culminated in the franchise's first and onlyWorld Series victory. During the 2004 season, both teams came down to the wire: tied for wins headed into the final week of September with the last three games being played in Oakland against the Angels.[50] Both teams were battling to secure the lowest remaining wild card spot, however; Oakland fell in 2 losses to the Angels with only one victory in the series coming in the final game. Oakland found themselves eliminated from the playoff hunt, though the Angels suffered a sweep at the hands of the eventual champion Boston Red Sox.[51]
The Angels–Rangers rivalry has been said to have developed over a domination in the division between the two teams, and also in recent years more animosity between the two teams due to players who have played for both teams, including Nolan Ryan,Mike Napoli,Darren Oliver,Vladimir Guerrero,C. J. Wilson, andJosh Hamilton. In 2012, Wilson played a joke on Napoli, his former teammate, bytweeting his phone number, causing Napoli to exchange words with Wilson.[52] The feuds go back to two incidents between Angels second basemanAdam Kennedy and Rangers catcherGerald Laird which led to punches being thrown.[53]
The Angels and Rangers have each pitched aperfect game against each other, making them the only pair of MLB teams to have done so.Mike Witt pitched a perfect game for the Angels against the Rangers in 1984 atArlington Stadium andKenny Rogers for the Rangers against the Angels in 1994.
While fairly recent, as the teams have rarely met historically beforeinterleague play due to the Astros originally being in the National League, the Astros–Yankees rivalry has taken over baseball. One of their most notable historic meetings came in an exhibition game on April 9, 1965, the inaugural game played at theAstrodome and the first under the Astros team name; the Astros won the game 2–1. As with other teams, the Yankees are known for signing away several star players from the Astros, includingRoger Clemens,Lance Berkman, andGerrit Cole.[54][55] The Astros are the only team tono hit the Yankees twice, with two combined no-hitters in 2003 and 2022; they are also the only team to no-hit them since 1958.[56] Since 2015, the Astros and Yankees, along with the Boston Red Sox, also tend to have the most wins in the American League.[57]
Since the Astros moved to the American League in 2013, the two teams have met in the postseason on four separate occasions, all of which have been won by the Astros. The first was the2015 American League Wild Card Game, which Houston won 3–0;[58] the second was the2017 American League Championship Series, which Houston won in seven games;[59] and the third was in the2019 American League Championship Series, with the Astros winning in six games. The animosity between the two teams has only grown stronger in recent years, especially due to the revelations of theHouston Astros sign stealing scandal,[60][61] with some believing that the sign stealing cost the Yankees the 2017 pennant; others, meanwhile, cite that the Yankees' poor offensive numbers meant they were likely to lose regardless.[62] Many Yankees and their fans also accused the Astros of cheating during the 2019 ALCS; however, this was debunked by MLB.[63][64] The fourth postseason meeting occurred during the2022 American League Championship Series. Amidst chants by Yankees fans of "We Want Houston!" before the series, the Astros dominated the Yankees in a four-game sweep, becoming the first team to beat the Yankees in a postseason series four times.[65]
A long-standing rivalry between the New York Yankees and theCleveland Guardians (formerly known as theCleveland Indians) developed in the 1920s, when Cleveland shortstopRay Chapman died on the field after Yankees pitcherCarl Mays hit Chapman in the head with a fastball. Cleveland would rally following the incident, winning their first World Series title in1920, but the Yankees' subsequent dynastic run between1921 and1964 prevented Cleveland from attaining further success, other than another World Series title in1948 and several winning seasons that followed. As a result, animosity ensued between the two franchises, pitting the perennially free-spending and dominant Yankees against the more conservative and underdog Indians.[66][67][68][69]
George Steinbrenner would also be involved in the rivalry, in which he nearly purchased the Indians in the early 1970s; instead, he acquired majority ownership of the Yankees and led the team to seven World Series titles under his ownership. Since the advent of divisional playoffs in1995, both teams faced off in seven postseason series, most recently in the2024 American League Championship Series, with the Yankees winning five of the seven meetings.[70][71]
TheBraves–Mets rivalry is a rivalry between theAtlanta Braves andNew York Mets, who are both members of theNational League (NL)East division. The rivalry was particularly fierce during the late 1990s and early 2000s,[72] as both teams competed for postseason berths and, most notably, faced each other in the1999 NLCS. The rivalry's fierceness would return during the2022 season, when both teams competed for the NL East division title and first-round bye, with the Braves eventually coming out on top.[73][74][75][76][77] Historically, the two teams have often been considered the best in their division.[78]
TheMets–Phillies rivalry is a rivalry between theNew York Mets andPhiladelphia Phillies. Both clubs are members of MLB'sNational League (NL)East division. The rivalry between the two clubs is said to be among the most fiercely contested in the NL.[79][80] The two NL East divisional rivals have met each other recently in playoff, division, andWild Card races.
Aside from several brawls in the 1980s, the rivalry remained relatively low-key before the2006 season,[81] as the teams had seldom been equally good at the same time. A notable moment in their early meetings wasJim Bunning's perfect game on Father's Day of 1964, the firstperfect game in Phillies history,[82] which happened when the Mets were on a losing streak.[83] The Phillies were near the bottom of the NL East when the Mets won the1969 World Series and theNational League pennant in1973, while the Mets did not enjoy success in the late 1970s when the Phillies won three straight division championships. Although both teams each won aWorld Series in the 1980s, the Mets were not serious contenders in the Phillies' playoff years (1980,1981, and1983), nor did the Phillies seriously contend in the Mets' playoff years (1986 and1988). The Mets were the Majors' worst team when the Phillies won the NL pennant in1993,[84] and the Phillies did not post a winning record in either of the Mets' wild-card-winning seasons of 1999 or 2000, when the Mets faced theNew York Yankees in the2000 World Series.
As the rivalry has intensified in recent years, the teams have battled more often for playoff position. The Mets won the division in 2006, while the Phillies won five consecutive division titles from 2007 to 2011.[85] The Phillies' 2007 championship was notable given they won it on the last day of the season as the Mets lost a seven-game lead with 17 games remaining.[86][87] The Phillies broke theCurse of Billy Penn to win the2008 World Series, while the Mets' last title came in the1986 World Series.
In 2015, the Mets won theNational League Championship Series for their fifth pennant while the Phillies entered a rebuild phase. The Mets beat the Phillies 14 times and lost 5 for a lopsided season series.[88] The season still provided contentious moments such as, Mets pitcherMatt Harvey drilling Phillies 2nd basemanChase Utley in retaliation for Mets players getting hit by Phillies pitchers, a benches clearing argument between Phillies coachLarry Bowa in regards to a quick pitch byHansel Robles and a bat flip byDaniel Murphy.[89][90]
There is a long-standing bitter rivalry between the sports fans fromNew York City andPhiladelphia,[91] which are approximately two hours apart by car,[92] seen also between theNew York Giants and the Philadelphia Eagles in theNational Football League, and theNew York Rangers and the Philadelphia Flyers inNational Hockey League.[93] Games between the two teams atCiti Field andCitizens Bank Park are often very intense, hard-hitting affairs, as each home crowd does its best to create an unfriendly, sometimes volatile atmosphere for any visiting-team fans.[94]
The first postseason meeting between the Phillies and Mets occurred in2024,[95] with the Mets defeating the Phillies in theNLDS in four games.
The rivalry between theWashington Nationals andPhiladelphia Phillies extends back to the Nationals' original tenure as theMontreal Expos. Previously theExpos–Phillies rivalry, the two teams repeatedly battled for control of the division in the early 1980s and mid 1990s.[96][97] Following the franchise's relocation to Washington DC in 2005; the rivalry increased in geographic tension due to Washington's proximity to Philadelphia. The rivalry quickly spiked in intensity during the 2010s after Nationals team management introduced a campaign to block Phillies fans from overtaking home games. In 2019; star-outfielderBryce Harper further fueled tensions after signing a 13-year $330 million contract with the Phillies as a free agent.[98][99] The Nationals later won the2019 World Series during the first year of Harper's absence.[100] The Phillies currently lead the series 482–445, but the Nationals lead the postseason series: The Expos defeated the Phillies 3–2 in the 1981 NLDS.[101][102]
TheBrewers–Cubs rivalry (also known as the I-94 rivalry because the clubs' ballparks are connected by an 83.3-mile drive alongInterstate 94) refers to games between theMilwaukee Brewers andChicago Cubs. The rivalry starred with theMilwaukee Braves and Chicago Cubs after the Braves moved from Boston to Milwaukee in the1953 season and died when the Braves left for Atlanta in1966. That rivalry was followed by a 1969–97 rivalry between the Brewers, then in the American League, and the Chicago White Sox.[103] The proximity of the two cities and theBears-Packers football rivalry helped make the Cubs–Brewers rivalry one of baseball's best.[104] In the2018 season, the teams faced off in aGame 163 for theNL Central division title, which Milwaukee won 3 to 1. Milwaukee also won the two teams' only postseason match-up in the2025 NLDS.
TheCardinals–Cubs rivalry (also called the Route 66 rivalry and The I-55 rivalry) refers to games between theSt. Louis Cardinals andChicago Cubs. The Cubs lead the series 1,091–1,044 through2010,[105] while the Cardinals lead inNational League pennants with 19 against 17 for the Cubs. However, the Cardinals have a clear edge when it comes toWorld Series successes, having won 11 championships (most recently in 2011), while the Cubs have only won 3 (last winning in 2016). Cardinals–Cubs games see numerous visiting fans in either St. Louis'Busch Stadium or Chicago'sWrigley Field.[106] When the National League split into two, and then three divisions, the Cardinals and Cubs remained together. They had 3 pennant races in 1930, 1935, and 1945. The two teams met in theWorld Series of the nineteenth century when the Cardinals, then known as the Browns, were part of theAmerican Association. The teams tied in1885 and St. Louis won in1886. St. Louis, however, has officially vacated their history from the AA.[107] The first modern postseason meeting between the two teams was the2015 NLDS, which the Cubs won 3 games to 1 before losing the2015 NLCS to theNew York Mets.
ThePirates–Reds rivalry is a historic series between thePittsburgh Pirates and theCincinnati Reds. At one point in time was one of the fiercest matchups in the National League during the 1970s; both teams often met in the postseason multiple times prior to both being realigned to the National League Central in 1994. The two teams date far into the infancy of MLB, having both been founded in the 1880s, and first met during the 1900 MLB season. Both teams combine for 10 World Series championships and 18 pennants. The Pirates and Reds met 5 times during the NLCS in 1970, 1972, 1975, 1979, and 1990. Most recently; both teams met again during the 2013 NL Wild Card Game.
TheDodgers–Giants rivalry[108][109] is one of the oldest, fiercest, and most competitive rivalries in professional sports. It began in the late 19th century when both clubs were based in New York City, with the Dodgers playing atEbbets Field inBrooklyn and the Giants at thePolo Grounds inManhattan. After the1957 season, Dodgers ownerWalter O'Malley decided to move the team to Los Angeles for financial reasons, among others.[110] Along the way, he managed to convince Giants ownerHorace Stoneham (who was considering moving his team toMinnesota) to preserve the rivalry by bringing his team toCalifornia as well.[110]New York baseball fans were stunned and heartbroken by the move.[110][111] Given that the cities of Los Angeles and San Francisco have long been competitors in economic, cultural, and political arenas, the new venue in California became fertile ground for its transplantation.
Each team's ability to have endured for over a century while leaping across an entire continent, as well as the rivalry's growth in intensity from a cross-city to a cross-state engagement, have led to the rivalry being considered one of the greatest in sports history.[112][113][114]
Unlike many other historic baseball match-ups in which one team remains dominant for most of their history, the Dodgers–Giants rivalry has exhibited a persistent balance in the respective successes of the two teams, and remains immensely fierce today. As of the conclusion of the 2024 season, the teams have faced each other 2,585 times since 1889 (including playoffs), with the Giants leading the all-time series by just four games (1,286 to 1,282 with 17 ties). Both franchises have won eight World Series titles, and the teams rank first and second all-time in National League pennants (25 for the Dodgers and 23 for the Giants). Across all of Major League Baseball, the two franchises have more wins all-time than any other teams (Giants ranked first, Dodgers second).
Since moving to California, the Dodgers hold the edge in pennants (13–6) and World Series titles (7–3). For all their history, the2021 NLDS marked the first time the two teams had ever played each other in the postseason, with Los Angeles beating San Francisco in a winner-takes-all Game 5.
TheDodgers–Padres rivalry is occasionally called theI-5 rivalry, asSouthern California's two largest cities ofLos Angeles andSan Diego are located approximately 130 miles apart alongInterstate 5.
For much of the teams' history, matchups had often been lopsided in favor of the Dodgers: Los Angeles leads the all-time series with a .551 winning percentage. However, since 2020 both franchises have fielded several highly competitive teams simultaneously, resulting in five playoff appearances for Los Angeles and three for San Diego. The two teams faced each other in the Division Series in all three of the Padres' most recent playoff appearances: Los Angeles won in2020 and2024, while San Diego won in2022. The recent shared competitiveness and high-stakes playoff matchups have added intensity to a growing rivalry in Southern California. Off the field, the rivalry has been just as competitive, as the two teams have aggressively battled on the trade market and free agency over star players, such asJuan Soto,Mookie Betts,Max Scherzer, andTrea Turner.[115] Some high-profile stars have also played for both teams in recent years, includingBlake Snell,Yu Darvish andManny Machado.
Beyond baseball, San Diego sports fans have often harbored animosity towards Los Angeles due in small part to San Diego being an unstable home for their sports teams as both theChargers and theClippers both relocated to Los Angeles after being unable to find a secure future in San Diego.
The rivalry between the Arizona Diamondbacks and theLos Angeles Dodgers developed due to proximity when the Diamondbacks entered the league in 1998. It peaked and became one of the fiercest divisional matchups for several years in the 2010s.[116] During the 2010s, animosity rose immensely between both sides. An infamous example occurred on September 19, 2013. After eliminating the Diamondbacks from postseason contention and clinching their division, multiple Dodgers players celebrated the win by jumping into the pool at Arizona'sChase Field.[117] The two sides met during the2017 National League Division Series, where the Dodgers swept the Diamondbacks en route to an appearance in theWorld Series. The teams matched up again in the2023 National League Division Series, in which the Diamondbacks returned the favor with a 3–0 sweep of their own en route to aWorld Series appearance, their first since 2001. The Dodgers lead the all-time series 269–202 with a 3–3 split in the postseason.[118]
Due to not having a team until 1998, many Arizona residents supported the Dodgers prior to the creation of the Diamondbacks franchise. Because of this, there is often a split crowd when they play Los Angeles at their home park,Chase Field.[119][120]
The rivalry between thePhiladelphia Phillies andPittsburgh Pirates was considered by some to be one of the best rivalries in the NL.[121][122][123] The rivalry started when the Pittsburgh Pirates entered play in 1887, four years after the Phillies.[5]
The Phillies and Pirates remained together after the National League split into two divisions in1969. During the period of two-division play (1969–1993), the twoNational League East division rivals won the two highest numbers of division championships, the Pirates 9, the Phillies 6; together, the two teams' 15 championships accounted for more than half of the 25 NL East championships during that span.[124]
However, after the Pirates moved to theNational League Central in1994, the rivalry ended. The teams have since faced each other only in two series per year and the rivalry has effectively died in the years since the Pirates moved out of the NL East.[122][123] However, many fans, especially older ones, retain their dislike for the other team and regional differences betweenEastern andWestern Pennsylvania still fuel the rivalry.[125] The rivalry is mirrored in theNational Hockey League's so-called "Battle of Pennsylvania".[125][126]
Both the Dodgers and Cardinals are two of the oldest franchises in MLB, having first met during the 1900 season during the league's infancy; the Cardinals in 1882 and the Dodgers (originally known as the Bridegrooms) in 1883. Historically; both teams have not played in the same division; however frequent close pennant races and matchups in the postseason caused the rivalry to grow in intensity through the decades. This was on display from 1963 to 1968 when either team represented the National League in the World Series or the 2000s when the two teams regularly met in the postseason.[127][128][129][130]
Interleague or interconference matchups have long been the norm in other professional sports leagues such as theNational Football League.[7] Regular-season interleague play was discussed for baseball's major leagues as early as the 1930s. In December 1956, Major League owners considered a proposal byCleveland general manager and minority-ownerHank Greenberg to implement limited interleague play beginning in 1958.[131]
Under Greenberg's proposal, each team would continue to play 154-games in the season, 126 of which would be within the league, and 28 against the 8 clubs in the other league. The interleague games would all be played during a period immediately following the All-Star Game. Notably, under Greenberg's proposal, all results would count in regular season game standings and league statistics.[131] While this proposal was not adopted, the current system shares many elements.Bill Veeck predicted in 1963 that Major League Baseball would someday have interleague play.[132] The concept did not take hold until the 1990s (at least in part as an effort to renew the public's interest in MLB following the1994 players' strike).[7]
MLB's first regular season interleague game took place on June 12, 1997, when theTexas Rangers hosted theSan Francisco Giants atRangers Ballpark in Arlington.[133] There were four interleague games on the schedule that night, but the other three were played on the West Coast, so the Giants–Rangers matchup started a few hours earlier than the others.[133] Texas'Darren Oliver threw the game's first pitch and San Francisco outfielderGlenallen Hill was the firstdesignated hitter used in a regular-season game by aNational League team.[133] San Francisco'sStan Javier hit the first home run in interleague play, and the Giants won the game 4–3.[133]
For the first five seasons of Interleague Play, each division played against the same division from the other league (NL East vs. AL East, NL Central vs. AL Central and NL West vs. AL West), typically scheduled to alternate between home and away in consecutive years.[134] However, in 2002, a new format to Interleague Play was instituted where teams play Interleague games against various divisions.[134] Matchups which had been of particular interest prior to this format—mainly geographic rivals—were preserved. This is expected to be the continuing format of the interleague schedule. Corresponding divisions however, were skipped once when this rotation began, but were put back in the rotation in 2006.
From 2002 to 2012, all interleague games were played prior to theAll-Star Game. Most games were played in June, though May games have been scheduled since 2005. Among the 224 interleague pairs of teams, 11 played six games every year, which were scheduled in two three-game series "home and home", or one at each home ballpark. Five of these matches feature two teams in the same city or in neighboring cities, where they wholly or partly share territorial rights. Six are regional matches at greater distance, four of which are in the same state.
Since 2023, MLB went to a schedule that saw every team play each other at least once in a season.[135]
Known as theBeltway Battle and as theBattle of the Beltways, after Washington'sCapital Beltway (I-95/I-495) and Baltimore'sBaltimore Beltway (I-695). The two teams first met in 2006, one year after theMontreal Expos relocated fromMontreal toWashington, D.C., to become theWashington Nationals. Much of this rivalry is dominated by off-the field issues. Baltimore ownerPeter Angelos publicly opposed relocating the Expos to Washington, which he believed was a part of his territorial rights after the departure of the second incarnation of the Washington Senators after the1971 season. There are also controversies surrounding the value of the Nationals' television rights and their coverage on theMid-Atlantic Sports Network.[136][137]
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TheMets–Yankees rivalry is the latest incarnation of theSubway Series, the competition between New York City's Major League Baseball teams, the AL Yankees and NL Mets. Untilinterleague play started, the two teams had only met in exhibition games. Since the inception of interleague play the teams have met in every season since 1997 and faced off in the2000 World Series with the Yankees winning in five games.
The Citrus Series is the name given to the interleague series between theMiami Marlins andTampa Bay Rays in Major League Baseball. The Marlins entered the league in 1993 as the Florida Marlins, while the Rays had their first season in 1998 as the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. The first meeting between the two teams took place on June 22, 1998, atTropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida during the Rays' inaugural season. The Marlins moved into Marlins Park in the 2012 season; from 1998 to 2011, the games were played at the NFL's Miami Dolphins' Hard Rock Stadium (as it is currently named), though it has been known by several names in its existence.[138][139]
The Border Battle is an annual interleague rivalry between theMilwaukee Brewers (NL-Central) and theMinnesota Twins (AL-Central). The rivalry started and was most heated when the Brewers were still in the American League before transitioning to the National League.[140][141][142][143]
TheCubs–White Sox rivalry (also known as the Wintrust Crosstown Cup, Crosstown Classic, The Windy City Showdown, Red Line Series, City Series, Crosstown Series,[144] Crosstown Cup, or Crosstown Showdown) refers to the rivalry between twoMajor League Baseball teams that play their home games inChicago,Illinois. The Chicago Cubs of the NL play their home games atWrigley Field located on the city'sNorth side, while theChicago White Sox of the AL play their home games atRate Field on the city'sSouth side. The terms "North Siders" and "South Siders" are synonymous with the respective teams and their fans, setting up an enduring rivalry. TheChicago Transit Authority'sRed Line runs north–south through Chicago'sneighborhoods, stopping atWrigley Field on Addison Street andRate Field on 35th Street.
Notably this rivalry actually predates theInterleague Play Era, with the only postseason meeting occurring in the1906 World Series. It was the firstWorld Series between teams from the same city. TheWhite Sox won the series 4 games to 2, over the highly favoredCubs who had won a record 116 games during the regular season.[145][146] The rivalry continued through of exhibition games, culminating in the Crosstown Classic from 1985 to 1995, in which the White Sox were undefeated at 10–0–2.
The Ohio Cup is between theNational League (NL)'sCincinnati Reds and theAmerican League (AL)'sCleveland Guardians. Both teams' cities are about 250 miles away via I-71.
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The rivalry between theSt. Louis Cardinals of theNational League andKansas City Royals of theAmerican League is aMajor League Baseball series sometimes known as theI-70 Series or theShow-Me Series.[147] This rivalry is so called because the two cities are located in the state ofMissouri, whose nickname is the "Show Me State", and both cities are located alongInterstate 70. They played each other for the first time in the1985 World Series, which saw the Royals overcome a 2–0 and 3–1 series deficit to win in seven games. Owing to their geographical proximity, the teams face each other every regular season ininterleague play.
This prominent rivalry began with Royals successes in the early 1980s, fueled by the Royals' victory over the Cardinals in the 1985 World Series. The series is still a source of contention among fans, notably the controversial call in the bottom of the ninth of game 6 in which RoyalJorge Orta was called safe on a play that replays later showed him out; a Royals rally let them tie, and later win, the game and then the series.
The term Freeway Series refers to a series of baseball games played betweenMajor League Baseball'sLos Angeles Angels of theAmerican League andLos Angeles Dodgers of theNational League. The series takes its name from the massive freeway system in the greater Los Angeles metropolitan area, the home of both teams; one could travel from one team's stadium to the other simply by traveling alongInterstate 5.[148][149] The Freeway series is extremely popular in Los Angeles and normally sells out their games due to the close proximity of both teams and their fans. The closest the two teams came to playing in a World Series together was in2009, when they both made their respective league championship series before losing. Another recent point of contention between the two fanbases occurred on December 9, 2023, when Angels’ starShohei Ohtani signed with the Dodgers for $700 million.[150] Ohtani's decision to leave the Angels to sign with the Dodgers led to some Angels fans dubbing him a "traitor" and "sell-out".[151] Although the Dodgers have been the more historically successful franchise, the Angels hold a slight edge in the head-to-head advantage in meetings between the two teams.
The series between theHouston Astros and theLos Angeles Dodgers started as a divisional matchup, but hostility waned following Houston's move from the NL West to the NL Central in 1994, and later move to the American League in 2013. In 2017, the two teams played one another in the2017 World Series in which the Astros won the championship in 7 games. The rivalry re-intensified after the Astros'sign stealing scandal, in which it was revealed the team had utilized a complex system to steal pitch signs during the 2017 season, which culminated with them winning the World Series. As a result of the scandal, hostility grew immensely between the two teams and their fans.[152] The 2017 World Series was also the start of an era defined by these two franchises. All but one World Series from 2017 through 2024 featured either the Astros or Dodgers, with both teams making four appearances each. In the same period, the Astros won the2022 World Series, while the Dodgers won in2020 and2024.
The Athletics-Giants rivalry started as theBay Bridge Series, the name of the games played between—and rivalry of—theOakland Athletics of the AL andSan Francisco Giants of the NL, whilst the Athletics were still located in Oakland. The series took its name from theSan Francisco–Oakland Bay Bridge which links the cities ofOakland andSan Francisco. Although competitive, the rivalry between the A's and Giants was considered more friendly, with mostly mutual companionship between the fans, as opposed to the Chicago series (Cubs–White Sox), or the New York series (Mets–Yankees), where animosity runs high.[153]
The series was also occasionally referred to as the "BART Series" for theBay Area Rapid Transit system that links Oakland to San Francisco. However, the name "BART Series" has never been popular beyond a small selection of history books and national broadcasters and has fallen out of favor. Bay Area locals almost exclusively referred to the rivalry as the "Bay Bridge Series".
Originally, the term described a series of exhibition games played between the two clubs after the conclusion ofspring training, immediately prior to the start of the regular season. It was first used to refer to the1989 World Series in which the Athletics won their most recent championship and the first time both teams had met since they moved to theSan Francisco Bay Area. The moniker stuck to games played between the teams during the regular season since the commencement ofinterleague play in 1997 until the Athleticsmoved out of Oakland after the 2024 season. During the Athletics' temporary relocation toWest Sacramento, the rivalry has shifted from an inter-city (Bay Bridge Series) to a regional one, as the Giants and Athletics are the only two MLB teams located in Northern California.
An unlikely matchup between two interleague opponents; theSan Diego Padres andSeattle Mariners.[154] The rivalry has been a part of local hometown lore; often called theEddie Vedder Cup in regard to both Seattle and San Diego being hometowns forPearl Jam frontmanEddie Vedder, who lived inSan Diego County during the latter half of his adolescence before forming Pearl Jam in Seattle. Vedder himself is a fan of theChicago Cubs.[155][156][157][158]
The two teams have met each other every season excluding 2017 since interleague play was introduced in 1997.[159] Following the introduction of interleague play; one of the 15 naturalized rivalries designated were to include Seattle and San Diego.[160] The rivalry often involved both teams in the depths of playoff failure as the Padres failed to win a single playoff series from 1999 to 2019, while the Mariners had failed to make a single playoff appearance from 2002 to 2021; thus forcing both teams to compete for draft picks and prospects as they also share thePeoria Sports Complex as their spring training facility.[161] Though very little on the surface initially linked any animosity between the two teams as they play in separate leagues and both cities lie approximately 1,250 miles apart. The rivalry often exists with more respect between the two teams and fans alike as more of a humorous contest for both sides.[162][163][164]
Starting in 2025, the winner of the annual series will receive the Vedder Cup, a 1963Fender Telecaster designed by Vedder.[165][166][167]
TheDodgers–Yankees rivalry is one of the most well-known rivalries in Major League Baseball.[168] The strength of the rivalry has its foundation in the record twelveWorld Series matchups between the franchises, the teams' shared home ofNew York during the first half of the 20th century, and the present-day cultural rivalry between the cities of New York and Los Angeles.
The city of New York was home to both franchises from the time of the Yankees' inception in the early 20th century. For close to fifty years, the teams represented different boroughs and different leagues: the Yankees inthe Bronx as a member of the American League and the Dodgers inBrooklyn as a member of the National League. The neighboring teams finally met in the World Series in1941, resulting in a Yankees victory. The teams would ultimately face off in the World Series seven times in a 16-year span from 1941 to 1956, with the Yankees dominating; it wasn't until the sixth meeting in1955 that the Dodgers finally broke through for their first-ever championship.
In 1958, the Dodgers moved across the country from New York to Los Angeles. The move has added a new element of competitiveness to the rivalry, as the teams now represent the two dominant media markets and cultural capitals on each coast of the United States, andsince the 1980s, the two largest cities in the United States. Since the Dodgers' move, the teams have faced each other five more times in the World Series, with more even results: the Los Angeles Dodgers have won three of five matchups, including the most recent in2024.
Despite never playing in the same division, the Royals and Yankees developed quite a disdain for each other from mid 70s through the mid 80s. Starting in 1976, they met in theAmerican League Championship Series for four out of the five seasons (1976-1978 and 1980), with the Yankees winning the first three, and Kansas City sweeping New York in1980. The rivalry continued in 1983, which featured thePine Tar Game, in whichBilly Martin requested that the umpires inspectGeorge Brett's bat after he hit a two-run home run in the top of the ninth that gave Kansas City a 4–3 advantage. The umpires ruled that the amount of pine tar on the bat exceeded the amount allowed by rule, nullified Brett's home run, and called him out. As Brett was the third out in the ninth inning with the home team in the lead, the game ended with a Yankees win. The Royals protested the game, and American League presidentLee MacPhail upheld their protest. MacPhail ordered that the game be continued from the point of Brett's home run.[169] The game was resumed 25 days later on August 18, and officially ended with the Royals winning 5–4. The rivalry died when many of the main characters in the rivalry retired or moved to other teams viafree agency (a new concept in the early 1980s). The Royals also went on a long re-build after team ownerEwing Kauffman died in 1993. From 2000 to 2010, Kansas City did not win a single series against New York.[170] The teams met in the2024 American League Division Series, which the Yankees won 3–1.
TheDodgers–Reds rivalry was one of the most intense during the 1970s through the early 1990s.[171] They often competed for the NL West division title. From 1970 to 1990, they had eleven 1–2 finishes in the standings, with seven of them being within 5½ games or fewer. Both teams also played in numerous championships during this span, combining to win 10 NL Pennants and 5 World Series titles from1970–1990, most notably as theBig Red Machine teams clashed frequently with theTommy Lasorda-era Dodgers teams. Reds managerSparky Anderson once said, "I don't think there's a rivalry like ours in either league. The Giants are supposed to be the Dodgers' natural rivals, but I don't think the feeling is there anymore. It's not there the way it is with us and the Dodgers."[172] The rivalry ended when division realignment moved the Reds to the NL Central. However, they did face one another in the1995 NLDS and2025 NLWCS.
TheMontreal Expos andPhiladelphia Phillies were originally rivals as charter members of the NL East following the1969 expansion in which the Expos were one of four new teams added to the league. The two teams grew a history of fights and pitches repeatedly tossed at one another, culminating in both teams regularly battling for control of the division during much of the early 1980s and mid 1990s. Notable games such as Mike Schmidt's game-winning home run helped Philadelphia clinch the division during their penultimate game against the Expos during the tail end of the 1980 season.[173][174] The Expos responded the following season by beating the Phillies in the NLDS 3–2.[175][176] The rivalry regrew following the Expos' relocation to Washington DC in 2005 to become the Nationals franchise.[177]
The rivalry between theSt. Louis Cardinals and theNew York Mets peaked during the 1980s when both teams contended forNational League East supremacy. The rivalry began with the 1983 trade that broughtKeith Hernandez from the Cardinals to the Mets, essentially turning the latter into contenders.[178] Between 1985 and 1988, the division was dominated by either of the two teams, and in three of those years, the NL East winner went on to the World Series. In 1994, the Cardinals were moved to theNational League Central, and the rivalry faded soon after. The two teams would meet in the2000 and2006National League Championship Series, briefly rekindling the rivalry.[179][180][181][182]
Being the only twoCanadian baseball teams in the major leagues, a rivalry between theToronto Blue Jays and theMontreal Expos was inevitable. This rivalry was assisted by the presence of thePearson Cup, an award that was given to the winner of a special midseason match (later incorporated into the MLB interleague schedule). However, this rivalry was subdued, as the two teams played in different leagues. In 2004, the rivalry came to an end when the Expos moved to Washington to become theWashington Nationals.
With the end of the rivalry between the Blue Jays and the Expos in Montreal at the conclusion of the 2004 season, the Blue Jays won the series 24–19; the two teams never met in the postseason.
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This rivalry was mainly played out in theWorld Series, in which the two teams met four times and split two series. The Cardinals won the first two meetings; in1946, St. Louis prevailed in large part toEnos Slaughter'smad dash late in Game 7, and in1967, pitcherBob Gibson outlasted Red Sox aceJim Lonborg in Game 7 to dash Boston's"Impossible Dream" season. The Red Sox then won the next two meetings; in2004, Boston ended their86-year title drought with a four-game sweep, and in2013, they won their third World Series in a ten-year span with a six-game win, capped off by winning the championship atFenway Park for the first time since1918.
The rivalry between theNew York Giants andNew York Yankees was briefly intense during the 1920s as both teams not only inhabited New York City but also, for a time, the same ballpark.[183] During that era the opportunities for them to meet could only have been in aWorld Series. Both teams kicked off the firstSubway Series between the NL and AL in 1921. The teams met once since the Giants moved to California, in the1962 World Series, with the Yankees winning in seven. Following the World Series matchup, the rivalry has cooled off greatly in the years afterwards.
The rivalry between thePhiladelphia Phillies andPhiladelphia Athletics, also known as thePhiladelphia City Series was at its most intense from 1901 to 1955, when the Athletics played in Philadelphia.[184] The rivalry was significant not only because both teams played in Philadelphia, but because of the strong competition between the National and American Leagues. The competition between the leagues was so strong that the A's and Phillies did not play at all from 1901 to 1902 because of legal warring between the two parties.[185] Related to growing tensions between the rival leagues, superstarNap Lajoie had played for several years on the Phillies, but was displeased with the salary cap of $2,400 placed by the National League. When the American League was formed in 1901 and the A's joined it, Lajoie was offered a contract by Frank Hough of the Athletics on behalf of A's managerConnie Mack. When asked by a reporter what motivated him to leave, he responded "[Frank] Hough offered me $24,000 ($682,656 in current dollar terms) for four years. You can bet I signed in a hurry!" As a result, the Phillies filed a lawsuit to thePennsylvania Supreme Court banning Lajoie from playing for any professional team. However, the decree only applied to teams in Pennsylvania, so Lajoie signed with the Cleveland Bronchos. When the decree expired, the Phillies chose not to file it again, and Lajoie left Cleveland to sign with the A's.
When the National League and American League merged in 1903, the rivalry became more friendly. Games between the two teams were played in many stadiums throughout Philadelphia as older ones fell into disrepair and newer ones were built. Stadiums includedShibe Park,Philadelphia Park, as well as others. The final City Series game was played in 1954. In 1955, the Athletics moved toKansas City after another dismal season in Philadelphia. The rivalry continued in spring training games until the Athletics moved to their permanent spring training facility inMesa, Arizona. The rivalry has effectively died since then.
With the Astros moving from the National League to the American, there will be interleague play all season long. Also, games between natural rivals in different leagues,...have been reduced from six per year to four...In the new format, teams will play 19 games against division opponents, six or seven against the other teams in their leagues and 20 interleague games.
(Billy) Wagner...was a Phillie...never heard anybody in the clubhouse speak harshly about the Mets, or vice versa. These ships have been passing quietly in the night for decades, with plenty of open sea between them.
1964 New York Mets season.
Philadelphia fans hate New York fans and New York fans [hate Philadelphia fans]...Eagles fans and Giants fans don't get along, and Flyers supporters haven't been known to break bread with those wearing Rangers jerseys.
You've got the proximity, a natural rivalry between the cities, and there are fans of both clubs in Jersey.
New York teams—the Mets, Rangers, Giants and Knicks—rank among Philadelphia's most loathed rivals.
Games between the Flyers and Rangers almost always are intense, hard-hitting affairs...'You have that feeling when you come into Philly and you know when they come into New York the fans are going to be pumped up.'
