They don’t have the power they once did with the onset of intraleague play, but rivalry games still play an important role in spring training. Here are some 2026 rivalry games worth noting.
Rivalry games are part of the MLB calendar and are likely to remain there till the end of civilization or the end of baseball, whichever comes first. Before interleague play, rivalry games between teams in opposing leagues came in spring training and were always highlights on the schedule. They still are, to a great extent, making tickets a little harder to acquire. Here are our choices for the most notable rivalry games on the 2026 spring training schedule.
New York Yankees and New York Mets. Believe it not, the Yankees and Mets went many years without facing each other in Grapefruit League action, despite their camps being only three hours apart. But the rivalry games returned a few years ago, and this year sees two, both on Sundays—which means both games are likely to sell out. The Mets will visit Steinbrenner Field on Feb. 22, giving the Yankees a strong start to spring-training games, while the Yanks will return the favor and visit the Mets at Port St. Lucie’s Clover Park on March 8.
Philadelphia Phillies and Pittsburgh Pirates. The pair both play in the National League, albeit in different divisions, and games between them are always a solid draw. This should definitely be the case in 2026, with the Phillies loaded for bear and the Pirates on the rise. The pair face off twice this spring, with the Pirates visiting BayCare Ballpark on Sunday, Feb. 22 and the Phillies visiting LECOM Park on Friday, March 6.
Cincinnati Reds and Cleveland Guardians. The pair has not proven to be big draws at Goodyear Ballpark, but the crowds are noticeably more robust—and even record-setting—when the two Ohio teams play. The pair directly compete three times at Goodyear Ballpark in spring training 2026—Feb. 21 and March 22 to open and close Cactus League play—but the most popular game for both will be the St. Patrick’s Day (March 17) night game. Expect a large crowd.
Los Angeles Dodgers and Los Angeles Angels. The pair square off several times during spring training, both in Arizona and Los Angeles, and we’re already seeing some strong ticket sales on the Angels side. (The Dodgers are always a strong draw in spring training.) Those five games include two in Arizona and three in Los Angeles as a final preseason tuneup: Feb. 21 at Tempe Diablo Stadium, March 1 at Camelback Ranch-Glendale, March 22 at Angel Stadium, and both March 23 and March 24 at Dodger Stadium.
Comments are closed.