Rivalries make sports fun. Some of the greatest moments in sports have occurred against major rivals, including fights and significant moments.
Nothing is better than watching your favorite team beat its biggest rivals, especially when it leads to a championship. Every story needs a villain, and that villain is your team’s rival.
Let’s look at 5 MLB rivalries that are heating up and five that are dead.
Which rivalries in MLB are in full swing, and which ones have cooled off?
HEATING UP – New York Mets & Philadelphia Phillies & Atlanta Braves
Is it cheating to put three teams together in one slot? Maybe, but it’s my article, and I make the rules. Truth is, I couldn’t decide on which two teams from the NL East to include, as any combination of the Mets, Phillies, and Braves would work. These longtime rivals are all serious contenders for a World Series title and have franchise-altering players and rabid fanbases.
All ingredients for a serious MLB rivalry. Add in ownership that is willing to spend money to import talent, and it’s easy to see this rivalry extend from the playing field to the boardroom as they battle it out for future stars. This three-way rivalry is just getting started.
DEAD – New York Yankees & Boston Red Sox
The Yankees-Red Sox is one of the fiercest rivalries in professional sports, so it might be odd to see it listed here as “dead.” The rivalry dates back to the trade of Babe Ruth in 1919, which reached a fever pitch in the late 1970s and boiled over in the late 1990s to early 2000s. Since Boston broke their World Series drought in 2004, the rivalry just hasn’t been the same.
There was a time when it was believed that the Yankees players truly hated the Red Sox players (Graig Nettles probably still does), and vice versa. That doesn’t seem to be the case anymore. If this rivalry isn’t dead, it’s at least on life support.
HEATING UP – Los Angeles Dodgers & San Diego Padres
Due to their recent winning and salary deferral methods, the Dodgers are probably the most disliked team in baseball right now. While recently increasing their spending, the Padres have yet to match the Dodgers’ success. So, it’s only natural that this once-dormant intra-state, intra-divisional rivalry is erupting once again.
It’s almost as if San Diego has the little brother complex to LA, and despite coming close, they have yet to reach the championship mountaintop. To do so, the road runs through Los Angeles, and it won’t be easy. While the Padres are stacked with talent, the Dodgers’ roster is almost unfairly completely loaded. This MLB rivalry is one that will be fun to watch.
DEAD – Pittsburgh Pirates & Cincinnati Reds
Pittsburgh and Cincinnati’s rivalry is almost as old as baseball itself, dating back over 130 years. At various times, notably in the 1970s and the 1990s, when they were both perennial contenders, these two franchises have had one of the fiercest rivalries in the game. Over the last few years (decades?), the Pirates and Reds have not shown much in the way of truly competing for a World Series title.
Both teams have only made the playoffs 6 times since the 1990 season, although Cincy did win the World Series in 1990. Although both teams started to show signs of new life, until the Pirates and Reds continued to succeed, this rivalry remained dormant.
HEATING UP – New York Yankees & Baltimore Orioles
The Yankees are the most storied franchise in MLB history, so it’s not really a surprise to see them on our list more than once. The surprise is to see them paired up here with the Orioles. An argument could’ve been made for the Rays, Blue Jays, or Mets, but I’m going with Baltimore. Besides being a division rival, at this point, the Orioles seem to have the most upside.
This MLB rivalry has been heating up for the last few seasons but reached new heights after a benches-clearing brawl in July 2024. With the Yankees always in win-now mode and the O’s emerging as a real divisional threat, this rivalry is getting hot.
DEAD – Chicago White Sox & Minnesota Twins
I don’t want to speak poorly of the White Sox, but then they went and set a record in 2024 for the most losses in a season. Unfortunately, the futility doesn’t stop there, as the Sox are at the beginning of what might be a long rebuild. Chicago last won the World Series 20 years ago, which is still more recent than the Twins (1991).
The good news for Minnesota is that they have made the postseason more frequently than their division foe, which is why this rivalry suffers. The White Sox are just not good enough to garner any heat with another team. A team in shambles does not make for a quality rival.
HEATING UP – Milwaukee Brewers & Chicago Cubs
The Brewers were in the American League until 1998, so this rivalry doesn’t have the history behind it like some others. After winning a title in 2016, the Cubs were forced to reload, but they seem to be ready to compete for a playoff spot this year. Milwaukee has made the postseason in 6 of the last 7 years, clearly putting the two clubs on a collision course in the National League Central.
If being division foes wasn’t enough, the two have a mutual friend in Craig Counsell. During the 2023 season, Counsell became the winningest manager in Brewers history. After the season, the Cubs hired him as manager. This MLB rivalry is ready to blow.
DEAD – Los Angeles Angels & Oakland A's
Teams that play in the same state and the same division typically make great rivalries, but it also helps if the teams are successful on the field. It’s that sticky third point that gives the Angels and A’s pause in their rivalry. In recent years, when it comes to the product on the field, success has eluded both franchises.
The A’s are not looking to contend now and are in a clear holding pattern until they leave Oakland, and the Angels could barely stay above .500 with Mike Trout AND Shohei Ohtani. The Angels-A’s rivalry is on its last breath. Once the A’s leave for Las Vegas, this once-great rivalry will probably be DOA.
HEATING UP – Texas Rangers & Houston Astros
Have you heard about the intra-state, intra-division rivals? Meet the Texas Rangers and Houston Astros. Heading into the 2025 season, these two are clearly the best teams in the American League West. Houston is still in the midst of a run that has seen them make the playoffs in 9 of the last 10 seasons, including winning the World Series twice.
The Rangers won their first World Series championship in 2023, taking down their in-state rivals in the process. Their title defense didn’t go as planned, but there is talent up and down the Texas roster. Despite an aging lineup, the Astros are still contenders looking to avenge 2023, making this an MLB rivalry to watch.
DEAD – Miami Marlins & Every Other Team
Let’s be honest; the Marlins might be one of the worst-run organizations in professional sports. This team is and has been, utterly pathetic for a long time. Since 2010, Miami has had 2 seasons where the team has finished above .500, and one of those was the Covid-shortened 2020 season.
With such a lack of success, it’s easy to see why the Marlins have no real rivalries. Sure, there are the other teams in the National League East and the in-state rivalry with the Rays, but those don’t generate much interest. There is simply no other team that looks at the Marlins as a rival, and most fans, including Miami’s, just don’t care.