MLB rivalries: A list of the biggest rivalries in baseball

MLB rivalries typically start when two teams simultaneously reach their peak levels of success and find themselves competing against one another year after year for supremacy. Each team is eager to win the match they compete together since it is such a determinant. It is always significant when these pairs get together, especially for the fans.

Sports are great because of rivalries, and MLB is full of rival teams and envious fans. Since the MLB's inception in 1869, some teams have been battling it for over a century. A rivalry becomes more tense and hostile as a result of the emotions experienced by players and spectators during a game, and eventually, there is nothing but utter hatred between them.

What is the biggest rivalry in the MLB?

Due to baseball's long history and rich tradition, the below ranked MLB rivalries have developed over the years. The only thing we can be certain of is that compiling a list of the best is not simple. Of course, many of the most famous in history are clear-cut, especially those that persist.

However, a thorough investigation of this subject requires a look back in time and a history lesson. With that in mind, here is our list of the top ten MLB rivalries in league history.

10. Boston Red Sox vs Tampa Bay Rays

Surprisingly, throughout their brief history, the Rays have developed the strongest rivalry with the Red Sox. When the Rays had their breakthrough year in 2008, they defeated the Red Sox in the ALCS in seven games.

That series enabled to reignite what is now one of the biggest baseball rivalries in the American League. Since then, the two teams have frequently engaged in altercations and brawls. Every game between the Red Sox and the Rays is generally intense and can potentially explode at any moment.

9. Milwaukee Brewers vs Chicago Cubs

It is strange that, despite Milwaukee and Chicago's proximity, they had little rivalry until the Brewers joined the National League in 1998. But since then, it has significantly grown into one of the biggest MLB rivalries.

The games always have significance because they compete in the same division. Additionally, due to the close proximity, visiting fans are always eager to travel and invade the opposing team's ballpark.

Also, relations between those fans are not exactly friendly. The Cubs and Brewers have competed for control of the NL Central on numerous occasions over the years, adding to this fleeting but intense rivalry. When they had to play a playoff tiebreaker game against one another in 2018, things took things to the next level, guaranteeing that this rivalry will only intensify.

8. New York Mets vs New York Yankees

Whether or not this counts as one of the fiercest MLB rivalries is frequently up for discussion. There is no doubt that this is a rivalry because New York sports fans are among the most competitive in all sports when it comes to bragging rights.

The Mets are the Yankees' biggest rivals, and it is typically a big deal when the teams compete with supporters from both sides present. It all began with the 2000 World Series, but there have been plenty of memorable moments, making it one of the more notable rivalries in baseball history.

7. New York Mets vs Philadelphia Phillies

There has been contempt between the Mets and the Phillies since their inception. In fact, despite their close physical proximity, New York and Philadelphia have intense rivalries in a number of sports, with the Mets and Phillies forming one of the most heated ones.

Many tense situations and bench-clearing fights occurred between the two clubs in the 1980s. Early in the new millennium, the Mets and Phillies engaged in physical altercations and verbal jousting, reigniting the rivalry. It does not take much to start a spark, even when things are calm, which signifies a strong rivalry.

6. Cincinnati Reds vs Pittsburgh Pirates

There is no relationship between the Reds and the Pirates. Since the 1970s, when both teams played four times in the NCLS, with the Reds winning three of those series, this rivalry has been as heated as they come.

With both teams vying for a playoff spot again in the 1990s, the rivalry was reignited, and it is not uncommon to see benches empty at the slightest hint of hostility. You can tell they just despise each other and will remain one of the greatest MLB rivalries of all time.

5. New York Yankees vs Los Angeles Dodgers

The history between the Yankees and Dodgers is likely unknown to younger fans. Rewind a few decades, and this was the biggest rivalry in the MLB, even though they cannot be regarded as rivals today.

Remember that the Dodgers and Bronx Bombers were rivals within the city because, until 1958, the Dodgers were based in Brooklyn. Furthermore, these two franchises were the best in baseball for many years.

The Yankees and Dodgers faced off 11 times in the World Series between 1941 and 1981. The notable events from those series could fill a book. Even though they currently play on different coasts, they still compete financially and in their efforts to win another championship.

4. St. Louis Cardinals vs Chicago Cubs

Despite being only 300 miles apart, Chicago and St. Louis have been in a power struggle since the early 1900s. Since the Cardinals are the second-winningest team in MLB history, they frequently make fun of Cubs supporters, particularly during their lengthy championship drought.

While the Cubs have a slight advantage in the head-to-head series, the Cardinals have been a much more successful franchise overall. The Cubs struggled to compete for years, so defeating the Cardinals was pretty much the highlight of their season.

3. Chicago Cubs vs Chicago White Sox

This is one of the best MLB rivalries of all time. The American League had just been formed when the owner of the minor league St. Paul Saints relocated his team to Chicago in 1900. The new team was renamed the White Stockings and regarded as a threat to the Cubs, the city's existing National League team.

The Cubs and the White Sox are rivals because both teams are based in Chicago and have had difficulty winning in the postseason, usually to the delight of the opposing fans. The local Cubs, who were already well-established, felt betrayed when the White Sox moved in. The two teams quickly established a special series, and ever since, they have each been competing annually to defeat the other team from across the city.

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2. Los Angeles Dodgers vs San Francisco Giants

Giants and Dodgers never seem to be able to be separated from one another. They are currently NL West divisional rivals despite having shared New York birthplaces. As a result, it is not unusual to find them among our most acrimonious rivalries.

Because of how infamous this rivalry has become, the Dodgers' owner persuaded the Giants' owner to send his team to California rather than Minneapolis, so they could continue to be rivals forever.

1. New York Yankees vs Boston Red Sox

The rivalry between the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox is frequently regarded as the best in MLB, if not in all of the American sports. However, it is not as old as some ardent admirers might believe.

Babe Ruth's 1919 trade from Boston to New York marked the beginning of the Sox-Yankees rivalry as we know it today, though it was not yet as heated. Relations between the teams and fans deteriorated as the Yankees prospered and the previously successful Red Sox struggled in the eras that followed. When both teams were performing at their peak, particularly from the late 1970s to the early 2000s, the rivalry was particularly acrimonious.

The feelings of baseball go beyond the field. Some of the most intense rivalries in MLB history are contested by spectators, athletes, and even the media. There is nothing they can do; they are just unable to shake off the hate and despise they feel for other clubs.

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