America’s Pastime is steeped in tradition, historic figures, and deep-rooted hatred for your favorite team’s rival. As such, the MLB has done a great job of giving fans the matchups they want, when they want them. And that includes Rivalry Weekend.
With nearly every team engaging in a rivalry matchup of sorts this weekend, it’s fair to wonder which baseball rivalry is the best.
MLB Rivalry Rankings
First things first, you have to know how we got to these rankings and which matchups we considered. To keep things simple and clear, we only took into account the rivalries that are set to take place during the weekend series for the May 16-18 games. So, yes, some famous rivalries are not even in this debate, and we’ll get to those later.
Matchups like Yankees-Red Sox, Dodgers-Giants, Cardinals-Cubs, etc., were not even up to bat in this discussion. We strictly ranked the matchups that stepped up to the plate this weekend.
We then looked at their historical value, key moments, and drilled into their actual significance toward this season’s success, or lack thereof. What we came up with is below.
The best Rivalry Series for May 2025’s Rivalry Weekend:
1) Subway Series: New York Yankees vs. New York Mets
Two first-place teams who play for more than just a single game’s result anytime they hit the diamond: This one was a no-brainer.
Entering the weekend, the Yankees sat atop the AL East and the Mets atop the NL East. The Yanks’ bats started hot and have stayed hot while the Mets’ pitching has been the best in the league, collectively.
When these two teams meet in the aptly named Subway Series, crazy things can happen, and it’s almost always heart-stopping baseball and well worth the price of admission.
The Yankees took Game 1 of the series in dominant fashion, pushing the Mets into must-win mode to start the weekend.
2) I-70 Series: St Louis Cardinals vs. Kansas City Royals
The Cardinals and Royals battle it out literally down the road from each other (fine, 4+ hours isn’t quite down the road, but bear with me). Both Central divisions seem like they’re up for grabs this year and though we’d like to see both of these teams play better on the road, the I-70 Series means more than just divisional pride, it’s for state bragging rights like that of a college football game between intrastate rivals.
The Cards are a game behind the Cubs for first in the NL Central and St. Louis’ dominant performance in Game 1 of the series knocked KC down to fourth in the AL Central. But there’s a long way to go.
Either way, this series always means a bit more and it has since the 1985 World Series. It’s must-watch TV.
3) Lone Star Series: Houston Astros vs. Texas Rangers
The Astros and Rangers are no strangers to each other and unlike others on this list, play a four-game series during Rivalry week and play once again to cap the season. Still, it’s an decisive early-season series for both squads after the Rangers took Game 1 and the Astros rallied to take Game 2.
These two have swapped places behind the Mariners in the AL West, and find themselves 1.5 games behind Seattle in the race for the AL West, depending on the results of the Vedder Cup on the West Coast.
Texas has come on strong as of late. Despite dropping the game to Houston in the second game of the series, the Rangers are 6-1 in their last seven games. The Astros comeback on Friday night pits why this series is always so fun to watch, and ultimately one of the most important rivalries of Rivalry Weekend.
4) Freeway Series: Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Los Angeles Angels
If the Dodgers want to prove they’re the team to beat in the NL once again, dominating their crosstown rival is a big start. The Dodgers have the hottest bats in the league, and the Angels have the fourth-worst run differential in baseball.
All signs pointed toward the Dodgers taking the series this weekend, but crazier things have happened when these two teams meet. As such, the Angels took Game 1 on Friday, 6-2, behind some dominant outings on the mound and at the plate.
In three of the past five years, the Dodgers have swept the season series, but the Angels took two from their crosstown foe a year ago. Could they take two once again?
5) Crosstown Classic: Chicago White Sox vs. Chicago Cubs
Okay, this one would have been ranked higher if the White Sox weren’t a disaster this season. The White Sox, who are the owners of the current worst record in the American League, can’t get out of their own way.
As noted, they dropped the first of their two-game series against the Cubs, 13-3, on Friday.
The Cubs have now improved on one of the best run differentials in the sport and hold a one-game lead over their hated rival, the Cardinals, for the divisional race early in the season. Another commanding performance over their crosstown rivals will go a long way toward their overall season success and public perception this year.
Honorable Mention
- Vedder Cup: Seattle Mariners vs. San Diego Padres
- Beltway Series: Washington Nationals vs. Baltimore Orioles
- Former Battle of the Bay: Athletics vs. San Francisco Giants