MLB's Hottest Rivalries Worth a Watch
The history of baseball is filled with notable rivalries. These rivalries have always been essential to the popularity of the sport. However, MLB rivalries always tend to ebb and flow with certain rivalries losing momentum, while others pick up steam. Plus, what matters to fans nowadays are not the rivalries of yesteryear but the ones that are hot today. That’s why we wanted to take some time to further explore the MLB rivalries that are hot right now and the most exciting for fans to experience in person.
Yankees vs Dodgers
As long as these two teams keep spending wildly and doing whatever it takes to win a championship, there will be a rivalry. The history between them dates back to when the Dodgers were in Brooklyn. There is still plenty of animosity between them, especially since they’re going to start playing every year from 2023.
Cardinals vs Cubs
The Cubs have struggled to pose a threat to the Cardinals for a couple of years, but this is a timeless rivalry. The history between them can surely survive a lull by one of them. These are still two of the most iconic franchises in the majors, which is why the Cardinals-Cubs rivalry will always make a list like this.
Dodgers vs Giants
These two will never not be rivals. Coming out of the 2021 season, when the Dodgers had to settle for being a 106-win Wild Card team because the Giants beat them out by one game, the rivalry is as fierce as it’s been in a long time. There’s just too much history between these franchises for the Dodgers and Giants to ever not have one of the most notable rivalries in the majors.
Red Sox vs Yankees
Even when they’re not battling for the pennant, this is always one of the top rivalries in baseball. Fans of the Yankees and Red Sox are always going to hate each other, and it’s hard for that not to spill over onto the field. Things may not be at full blast right now, but every Red Sox-Yankees game is still a big deal.
Twins vs White Sox
This is one of those rivalries that is never going to go out of style. These two teams have been going at it since 1901 and are destined to always be division rivals. More importantly, things are heating up with the Twins and White Sox combining to win every AL Central crown between 2019 and 2021. If the two teams continue to be good at the same time, it’ll add even more heat to an always-smoldering rivalry.
Padres vs Dodgers
With the Padres suddenly showing a willingness to spend money in order to compete at the highest levels, this has arguably become the best rivalry in the NL West. Of course, the Dodgers have always been big spenders that strive to do whatever it takes to win the World Series. In many ways, the rivalry has been jumpstarted by each team trying to make a bigger splash during the offseason or at the trade deadline. But that has bled over onto the field, even though the Dodgers continue to be the pre-eminent team in the National League with the Padres still fighting to catch up.
Braves vs Mets
This is a rivalry that has a lot of history but has never gone out of style. More importantly, it’s picking up steam in a big way. Atlanta overtook the Mets in the NL East in 2021 on the way to winning the World Series, with the two engaging in another tight division race in 2022. In addition to the long history of this rivalry, both the Mets and Braves look like they’re set up to get in each other’s way for a long time to come, making this one of the hottest rivalries in baseball right now.
Rays vs Yankees
For years, these teams were only rivals in the sense that opposites attract. The Rays had so little money that it seemed impossible for them to compete with the cash-rich Yankees. But the Rays have figured out how to compete consistently against the big spenders, making them a thorn in New York’s side. With the Rays winning the AL East in 2020 and 2021, they’ve become the biggest threat to the Yankees in the division, helping to fuel a truly bitter rivalry.
Astros vs Yankees
After Houston’s cheating scandal, everyone in baseball hates the Astros. But the Yankees are particularly loathsome of them, losing to the Astros in the ALCS in both 2017 and 2019. Plus, the Yankees also fancy themselves as the top dogs in baseball, but it’s been impossible to deny that (cheating or not) the Astros have become the team to beat in the American League more times than not in recent years. That makes this rivalry a battle over American League supremacy.
Dodgers vs Braves
It’s impossible to deny that this is one of the most heated rivalries in baseball right now. The Dodgers and Braves met in the 2018 NLDS, the 2020 ALCS, and the 2021 NLCS. The two League Championship Series in 2020 and 2021 were particularly competitive and contentious. Oddly enough, both teams beat the other on their way to winning the World Series. That should tell you how good both of these franchises are right now and how much they should feel threatened by the other and want to beat them, creating the top rivalry in the National League right now.