These are the 5 best matchups for MLB’s Rivalry Weekend

2. Cincinnati Reds at Cleveland Guardians

The Ohio Cup features the only other matchup of teams with winning records. Curiously, the Guardians (24-21) are a half-game better than the Reds (23-21), but Cleveland sits in the first place in the AL Central while Cincinnati is in the NL Central cellar.

The showdown features two of the game’s most promising hitters in the Reds’ Sal Stewart (10 homers, 30 RBIs) and the Guardians’ Travis Bazzana (1st overall pick, 2024 MLB Draft).

Also, the Guardians stoked the rivalry earlier this week with an odd video questioning whether Cincinnati is actually in Ohio.

3. Philadelphia Phillies at Pittsburgh Pirates

This Keystone State showdown gets bonus points because it revives an old NL East rivalry and features the best pitcher in baseball, Pittsburgh’s Paul Skenes (6-2, 1.98 ERA), who pitches in the series finale.

The Pirates have been a cool story so far at 24-20 behind the MLB’s sixth-best starting rotation (3.44 ERA) and a balanced lineup.

Meanwhile, the Phillies are in the process of recovering from an 8-18 start that cost manager Rob Thomson his job. Interim manager Don Mattingly has Philadelphia back on the right track at 21-23.

4. New York Yankees at New York Mets

The Subway Series gets off to a great start on Friday night at Citi Field. Former Yankee Clay Holmes (4-3, 1.86 ERA) takes the mound for the Mets against the Yankees’ Cam Schlittler (5-1, 1.35 ERA).

This matchup would be higher on the list if the Mets had lived up to their $335 million payroll. Alas, they are 18-25 after enduring a 12-game losing streak and sit last in the NL East.

The Yankees, meanwhile, are doing just fine at 27-17, two games behind the Tampa Bay Rays in the AL East. They could use a good weekend, though, having lost five of their past six.

5. San Diego Padres at Seattle Mariners

Though this is not a real rivalry, it gets huge points for creating something out of nothing. San Diego and Seattle named their matchup the Vedder Cup after Pearl Jam frontman Eddie Vedder, who spent formative years in Southern California and came to fame in the Pacific Northwest.

Oh, and Vedder is a die-hard Cubs fan, which makes the whole thing even more random.

The Mariners won the initial Vedder Cup in 2025 and have possession of the trophy, a guitar designed by Vedder himself. But the Padres, having already swept the M’s in a three-game series, need just one win this weekend to claim the prize.

On the field, San Diego is staying close to the two-time champion Dodgers at 25-18, while Seattle is 22-23 one year after getting to the AL Championship Series.