Every sport has rivalries, but MLB rivalries hit different.
With over a century of history and a 162-game season, MLB rivalries have time to build, simmer and explode. From heated summer matchups to high-stakes playoff clashes, these games bring out the intensity in players and fans alike.
In 2026, Major League Baseball is in a unique position: historic rivalries remain as strong as ever, while new ones continue to emerge thanks to frequent postseason battles. The result? A league full of compelling, must-watch matchups.
As teams cycle through different eras of success, divisional battles naturally evolve. But heading into 2026, these are the 10 MLB rivalries that matter most right now.
And you can watch all of them live—catch MLB games every day on DIRECTV. With the most MLB games of any provider, including in-market Regional Sports Networks, national broadcasts, and out-of-market coverage, DIRECTV gives you one of the most complete ways to follow every rivalry all season long. Sign up today and don’t miss a moment from Opening Day onward.
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Yankees-Red Sox | Dodgers-Padres | Mets-Yankees | Dodgers-Giants | Astros-Rangers | Angels-Dodgers | Cubs-Cardinals | Cubs-White Sox | Blue Jays-Mariners | Phillies-Mets | Padres-Mariners
Most Heated MLB Rivalries to Watch in 2026
So, which MLB teams have the biggest rivalries in baseball right now? Let’s take a look, along with where you can tune in to watch them live.
Local broadcasts are available via local streaming channels, including channels like NESN, Braves.TV and SportsNet LA. Find your team’s local broadcast here.
New York Yankees vs. Boston Red Sox
The Curse of the Bambino and the ghost of Buckey Dent may be gone, but the Yankees-Red Sox rivalry has yet to lose its spot as Major League Baseball’s top rivalry, and that’s thanks to the enduring hatred of New York fans and Boston fans.
Entering 2026, both teams have aspirations of the AL East division or at the very least, a wild card appearance. New York entered last season as the reigning AL champions, but lost to the Dodgers in the World Series. The Yankees ultimately tied with the Blue Jays for the division lead, with the Red Sox falling back.
Their latest playoff chapter came in the Wild Card round, where the Yankees won 2–1. Expect another intense season in this historic rivalry.
2026 Yankees-Red Sox Matchups:
- April 21–23 (Fenway Park): TBS (Tue), MLB Network (Wed), FOX (Thu) + MLB.tv, Locals
- June 5–7 (Yankee Stadium): FOX (Sat) + MLB.tv, Locals
- June 25–28 (Fenway Park): MLB Network (Thu), NBC/Peacock (Sun) + MLB.tv, Locals
- August 28–30 (Yankee Stadium): FOX (Sat) + MLB.tv, Locals
The I-5 Series: Los Angeles Dodgers vs. San Diego Padres
This NL West showdown has quickly become one of the premier MLB rivalries, arguably challenging the Yankees and Red Sox for the definitive rivalry in baseball.
The Dodgers and Padres have each taken the approach of building the best lineup at any cost and are frequently in a literal arms race to try to claim the NL West in their chase for a World Series.
What has not helped is that the Dodgers have been successful in doing that three times in the last five years. The Padres have never done it in their history. This season offers yet another uphill battle for the Padres, with the Dodgers once again adding a marquee free agent in Kyle Tucker. The Padres will hope their additions at the deadline can settle in with a full spring training and once again try to slug it out against their I-5 rivals.
In the end, it doesn’t really matter who is on the Dodgers’ roster because the Padres come alive against the Dodgers in a way that they don’t against other teams. The Dodgers won the season series last year, but on average, the game was decided by a decimal point of a run. These two teams flat out battle.
The Dodgers and Padres will face off 10 times against their chief rivals by the All-Star Game. These early season matchups might come down to determining the fate of this division, which could be made in the first few months of the season.
2026 Dodgers-Padres Matchups:
- May 18–20 (Petco Park): SportsNet LA + MLB.tv
- June 26–28 (Petco Park): MLB Network (Sat) + SportsNet LA, MLB.tv
- July 2–5 (Dodger Stadium): MLB Network (Thu), NBC/Peacock (Sun) + SportsNet LA, MLB.tv
- September 22–24 (Dodger Stadium): SportsNet LA + MLB.tv
The Subway Series: New York Mets vs. New York Yankees
The Subway Series remains one of the most unique MLB rivalries.
Dating back to 1921 when the Yankees were taking on the then-New York Giants, the rivalry got another chapter in 1941 when the Yankees took on the Brooklyn Dodgers. But as those two teams each moved west, in came the Mets into Queens in 1997 to be the chief Subway Series rival.
It may seem like a no-brainer to have these two teams meet, but for a long time, baseball did not play interleague games during the regular season. And so these rivalries relied on facing each other in the playoffs or being the one team scheduled for interleague play. But as the MLB made interleague play more of a regular feature, this series has gotten more intense.
Maybe the biggest addition to this fire over the last couple years is Juan Soto leaving the New York Yankees to sign with the New York Mets. The Mets have one of the largest payrolls in baseball and are not afraid to spend in their quest for their first World Series since 1986. The Yankees are looking to grab their first title since 2009 and extend the franchise’s lead in most World Series titles.
2026 Mets-Yankees Matchups:
- May 15–17 (New York): FOX (Sat) + Local broadcast, MLB.tv
- September 11–13 (New York): Local broadcast + MLB.tv
Los Angeles Dodgers vs. San Francisco Giants
The Dodgers and Giants is one of the longest-running rivalries in Major League Baseball and the only one that has gone coast to coast. You can trace the origins of this rivalry back to the Polo Grounds in 1890 when the Dodgers, then known as the Bridegrooms, beat the Giants 7-3. As the Bridegrooms became the Brooklyn Dodgers, the New York Giants eventually moved west, and the Dodgers followed them.
In total, they’ve met 2,598 times, and the Dodgers lead the series 1,291 to 1,290 with 17 ties. Amazingly, for as often as these two teams have played each other, just one of these matchups has come in the postseason—back in 2021 in the National League Division Series, when the Dodgers won 3-2.
This year, the Giants would need a stunning season to overcome their Goliath rival in the Dodgers. But even if they don’t finish above them in the standings, taking the season series would be a solid consolation prize.
2026 Dodgers-Giants Matchups:
- April 21–23 (San Francisco): SportsNet LA + MLB.tv, Locals
- May 11–14 (Dodger Stadium): MLB Network (Thu) + SportsNet LA, MLB.tv, Locals
- September 18–20 (Dodger Stadium): SportsNet LA + MLB.tv, Locals
- September 25–27 (San Francisco): SportsNet LA + MLB.tv, Locals
The Lone Star Series: Houston Astros vs. Texas Rangers
Separated by just 256 miles, the Astros in Houston and the Rangers ballpark in Arlington are essentially next-door neighbors in Texas. The two teams have been fiercely competitive. They’ve met 299 times—the Rangers have won 150, the Astros have won 149.
They’ve been especially competitive as of late. In 2023, they met in the AL Championship Series, which the Astros won in Game 7. Once again entering 2026, these two teams have their sights set on the AL West division that sent just one team to the postseason a year ago.
Over the last two seasons, the Astros have won the season series seven games to six and have largely dominated it throughout the 2020s. But the Rangers won when it counted.
2026 Astros-Rangers Matchups:
- May 15–17 (Houston): Local broadcast + MLB.tv, Locals
- May 25–28 (Texas): Local broadcast + MLB.tv, Locals
- July 10–12 (Texas): Local broadcast + MLB.tv, Locals
- July 31–August 2 (Houston): Local broadcast + MLB.tv, Locals
The Freeway Series: Los Angeles Angels vs. Los Angeles Dodgers
At this point, this rivalry just exists because both teams have Los Angeles in their name. It would be difficult to find a rivalry where the two franchises were at such disparate points in their history—the Dodgers having won two straight World Series and three of the last five, and the Angels not making the playoffs in almost two decades.
But still, these geographical battles offer folks in Los Angeles the chance to gain bragging rights over folks living in Orange County, which they will never stop being nice about.
2026 Angels-Dodgers Matchups:
- May 15–17 (Anaheim): SportsNet LA + MLB.tv
- June 5–7 (Dodger Stadium): SportsNet LA + MLB.tv
The Route 66 Rivalry: Chicago Cubs vs. St. Louis Cardinals
Route 66 rivalry between the Cardinals and the Cubs is another iconic Major League Baseball rivalry, dating back to 1885 between the Browns and the White Stockings. These franchises and their various incarnations have met more than 2,500 times.
They are routinely battling it out for the National League Central Division, and both have diehard fan bases. They’re separated by just 68 miles and regionality plays a huge part in this annual matchup.
The Cubs have won two out of the last three season series and once again look like they might have the competitive edge over the Cardinals. But you never can overlook the power a rivalry can have in elevating a team.
2026 Cubs-Cardinals Dates:
- May 29–31 (St. Louis): FOX (Sat), NBC/Peacock (Sun) + Marquee Sports Network, MLB.tv
- July 3–5 (Chicago): FOX (Sat), Peacock (Sun) + Marquee Sports Network, MLB.tv
- July 27–30 (St. Louis): Local broadcast + MLB.tv
- August 14–16 (Chicago): ABC (Sun) + Local broadcast, MLB.tv
Crosstown Classic: Chicago Cubs vs. Chicago White Sox
The Crosstown Classic is another rivalry devoid of a deeper history because of the limits of interleague play. Though they share the same city and first played in each other in the 1906 World Series, they only have 158 lifetime matchups.
The Cubs look to be a much more competitive team than the White Sox this season by just about every power ranking metric, but the passion of these fanbases sharing the same zip code is enough to give it some juice on rivalry weekend.
Of late, the Cubs have been dominant. They’ve gone 12-2 since 2023 including a 4-0 sweep in the 2024 season.
2026 Cubs-White Sox Matchups:
- May 15–17 (Chicago – White Sox): Marquee Sports Network (local) + MLB.tv
- August 17–19 (Chicago – Cubs): Marquee Sports Network (local) + MLB.tv
Toronto Blue Jays vs. Seattle Mariners
The Blue Jays of Toronto and the Mariners of Seattle might not appear on the surface like logical geographical rivalries. But Seattle is just a couple hour drive from Vancouver, a key outpost of the nationwide fandom of the Blue Jays. In recent years, as these teams have become more competitive, the rivalry has become one of the MLB’s most exciting.
Last year, the two teams met in the American League Championship Series in a riveting 7-game series. The Mariners are searching for their first World Series title, and the Blue Jays are looking for their first in 30 years.
Toronto has had Seattle’s number of late, but it’s not by much, and it’s not in the MLB playoffs. Seattle took the Wild Card series back in 2022. Once again, both teams enter this season with World Series aspirations, and it’s a solid possibility that they could clash once again in the postseason.
2026 Blue Jays-Mariners Matchups:
- July 3–5 (Seattle): Peacock (Sun) + Local broadcast, MLB.tv
- August 28–30 (Toronto): Local broadcast + MLB.tv
The Battle of the Broads: Philadelphia Phillies vs. New York Mets
The Battle of the Broads between the Mets and the Phillies dates back to the early ’60s at the Polo Grounds. The two teams are separated by just 30 miles, and the Battle of the Broads is a nod to both cities having “Broads”—due to Broadway in New York and Broad Street in Philadelphia.
Of late, the two teams have been in regular competition for the NL East division title and a Wild Card spot into the playoffs. The Phillies have won four of the season matchups against the Mets since 2020 to the Mets’ two. But the Mets do have the 2024 National League Division Series, which was the teams’ first-ever meeting in the postseason.
Entering 2026, these two teams are once again looking at their seasons as World Series or bust, with some of the league’s biggest stars on both sides.
2026 Phillies-Mets Matchups:
- June 18–21 (Philadelphia): MLB Network (Thu), FOX (Sat), NBC/Peacock (Sun) + Local broadcast, MLB.tv
- June 26–28 (New York): Local broadcast + MLB.tv
- July 16–19 (Philadelphia/New York): ESPN (Thu) + Local broadcast, MLB.tv
- September 17–20 (New York): FOX (Thu) + Local broadcast, MLB.tv
The Vedder Cup: San Diego Padres vs. Seattle Mariners
If you ever doubted the power of grunge music, just know that Pearl Jam lead singer Eddie Vedder has his own MLB rivalry because of his connections to two cities with baseball teams. There is not a single other genre of music that can say the same.
While still relatively new and unofficial, this rivalry has a chance to gain steam simply from the quality of the two teams. Each squad is vying for their division titles and a playoff berth, making any face-off a valuable opportunity to bolster their confidence and prove their mettle. And hey, a little trophy dedicated to Eddie Vedder probably doesn’t hurt either.
2026 Padres-Mariners Matchups:
- April 14–16 (Petco Park): MLB Network (Thu) + MLB.tv, Locals
- May 15–17 (Seattle): FOX (Sat), Peacock (Sun) + MLB.tv, Locals
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Frequently asked questions
What is the most famous MLB rivalry of all time?
The Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees have one of the most famous rivalries in both MLB and sports history.
What are some of the most heated MLB rivalries?
The Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres, the New York Yankees and New York Mets and the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Francisco Giants have some of the most heated rivalries in baseball.
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