MLB's inaugural Rivalry Weekend kicks off on Friday with a slew of competitive matchups. The weekend is highlighted by Juan Soto's return to Yankee Stadium for the first time as a member of the New York Mets, but the slate contains a bunch of intriguing matchups for baseball fans to watch. Eleven of the 15 series are interleague matchups, and two are between division rivals.

Below is our ranking of the weekend's rivalry matchups in terms of how exciting and competitive they should be. All home teams are listed second.

1. New York Mets vs. New York Yankees

All-time record: 84–67, Yankees

Two of baseball's best teams will battle in the rivalry known as the Subway Series, a rematch of the 2000 World Series. The big storyline will be Juan Soto returning to Yankee Stadium for the first time since ditching the Bronx to join the Mets on a $765 million contract. I'm sure he'll be welcomed back warmly by Yankees fans.

2. Seattle Mariners vs. San Diego Padres

All-time record: 68–63, Mariners

This “rivalry” doesn’t have much notable history, but these teams do have the second-best combined records in 2025 of this weekend’s matchups. It features two of the best, most dynamic center fielders in baseball in San Diego’s Jackson Merrill and Seattle’s Julio Rodriguez. Plus, this is the first official edition of the 2025 Vedder Cup. A can't-miss series.

3. Atlanta Braves vs. Boston Red Sox

All-time record: 50–44, Red Sox

Both teams are hovering around .500 but should be far better and could combine for some quality baseball. Boston is bringing its Rafael Devers drama into the weekend. The new lefty ace the Red Sox acquired from the White Sox (Garrett Crochet) will face the old lefty ace they acquired from the White Sox (Chris Sale) on Friday night.

4. Cincinnati Reds vs. Cleveland Guardians

All-time record: 76–59, Guardians

The star-studded NL West got a bit more crowded Sunday when the San Francisco Giants pulled off the most stunning trade of the 2025 campaign, landing All-Star slugger Rafael Devers from the Boston Red Sox in exchange for four players.

Clayton Kershaw, who is attempting to stave off the rival Giants in the NL West, reacted to the blockbuster move during ESPN's broadcast of the Los Angeles Dodgers' 5-4 victory over San Francisco on .

"How about that trade? That's wild. [Giants president of baseball operations] Buster [Posey] is really doing it over there," Kershaw said on the broadcast. "Good for Buster, man, he's going for it. I'd consider [Devers] probably one of top 10 hitters in the game, at worst. He's definitely a game changer."

The fit for Devers in San Francisco is interesting. The three-time All-Star does indeed one of the best bats in baseball, hitting .272/.401/.504 with 15 homers in 73 games this season. But he became disgruntled with Boston when it signed Alex Bregman in February, taking his starting spot at third base. Devers publicly rejected the team's request to shift to first base and appeared in 73 games at designated hitter this year.

The Giants already have one of the best third basemen in all of baseball in Matt Chapman, who has won five Gold Glove awards in the hot corner in eight seasons. San Francisco's top prospect Bryce Eldridge, who could debut at some point this year, plays first. It appears Devers might be back in the designated hitter role in the Bay Area.

"It'll be interesting to see what position he plays over there. I know they have a big prospect at first base coming," Kershaw said. "It'll be interesting to see if he plays first. Obviously they have Matt Chapman, he's one of the best in the game at third. Even if he's just DH for however long that contract is … it makes them better right now, for sure."

The Giants lost two of three games at Dodger Stadium over the weekend to slip two games behind Los Angeles in the NL West. But San Francisco clearly is going for it—and now it has another big name to take up the middle of manager Bob Melvin's lineup.

The Yankees are sending Oswald Peraza to the Angels, YES Network's Jack Curry reported on Thursday shortly before the trade deadline. In return, Los Angeles is getting prospect Wilberson De Pena and international money, insider Joel Sherman added.

Peraza has spent his entire MLB career with the Yankees since signing with the club in July 2016 as an international free agent from Venezuela. He made his major league debut in 2022 and has appeared in 145 games for the Yankees since then.

Through 71 games this season, which is the most Peraza has ever appeared in during a given season, he's averaging .152/.212/.241, all career-lows. The Yankees were hoping for more from Peraza this season, but he just didn't deliver, so it's not a major surprise he was traded. The Angels hope a new environment will be the boost Peraza needs right now.

At 53–56, Los Angeles is struggling at the plate. The Angel with the highest batting average right now is first baseman Nolan Schanuel with a .277. With Peraza is struggling in that department as well, we'll see how this trade fares for the L.A.

Elly De La Cruz's curiosity got the best of him during a Cincinnati Reds pitching change Monday night.

As Reds manager Terry Francona made the call to the bullpen during the fifth inning against the Washington Nationals, De La Cruz grabbed Francona's glasses to try them on for size. Francona's eye prescription appeared to be so strong that it nearly blinded De La Cruz as he put the specs on his face.

Francona let out a big laugh as De La Cruz winced and immediately handed the frames back.

The first-year Reds manager and star shortstop have managed to have some fun throughout their first season together. In June, Francona said he found a good way to get under the star's skin, telling him he'd make a really good designated hitter. Francona also hilariously mimicked De La Cruz's home-run celebration after a win last month, although he didn't do it exactly right.

There's never a dull moment between the two.

The Reds fell to the Nationals Monday night 10-8. De La Cruz scored three runs after he walked three times. The third-year star is slashing .281/.357/.486 with 18 home runs, 65 RBIs and 25 stolen bases this year.

Bill Walton, an NBA Hall of Famer who was also a legendary college basketball announcer, died at the age of 71 in May, making this year's Maui Invitational men's basketball tournament the first one without Walton in attendance.

Walton was known for his big personality on the sideline while he was an announcer. He famously sported tie-dye shirts, and frequently donned Hawaiian shirts during the Maui Invitational. The tournament found the perfect way to honor Walton at this week's event—two tie-dyed Hawaiian shirts were draped over an announcer's chair with a lei and a shirt that said "Walton" on top.

ESPN even showed a heartwarming tribute video of Walton ahead of the start of the Maui Invitational on Monday. It included some of the best and funniest moments of Walton at the tournament.

It's clear the Maui Invitational, and all of college basketball, just isn't the same without Walton's voice announcing the games.

North Carolina's epic comeback attempt against rival Duke in the ACC tournament semifinals fell just short as the Blue Devils prevailed, 74-71, thanks in part to a lane violation by Tar Heels forward Jae'Lyn Withers with 4.1 seconds left in regulation.

The unfortunate misstep put an end to a furious rally by North Carolina as they bounced back from a 24-point second-half deficit. The Tar Heels had Duke's lead down to one when Ven-Allen Lubin drew a shooting foul in the final seconds. Lubin missed the first attempt and never had the opportunity to even up the score due to Withers's infraction as he made the second.

There can't be many more heartbreaking ways to lose. It's made worse because it's North Carolina-Duke in an elimination game for the conference tournament crown and the Tar Heels are fighting to earn their way into the NCAA tournament.

ESPN's cameras showed Withers after the violation, forced to watch the remaining action from the bench and looking understandably distraught.

Duke advances to the title game tomorrow against the winner of Louisville-Clemson. North Carolina will have a nervous few days until the field of 68 is announced.

The players have been asked to play in the Super50, perform and push for a recall, following meetings between the board and the players’ agent in Trinidad

Colin Benjamin24-Jul-2018

A return to the West Indies ODI team is a distinct possibility for the Bravo brothers, Sunil Narine and Kieron Pollard, following discussions between the players and Cricket West Indies (CWI). The development could potentially pave the way for the players to be involved in the 2019 World Cup.The development has been aided by a board decision to move their next domestic 50-over competition to October this year, instead of February 2019 – a switch that means there will be minimal clash between the Super50 and the various domestic Twenty20 leagues Caribbean stars are such an integral part of.The players have been asked to play in the Super50, perform and push for a recall.”The overall message to Pollard, the Bravo brothers and Narine was ‘come and play in the Super50 Cup’, so that Courtney [Browne, chairman of selectors] and his selection panel will have all the players in system playing,” Johnny Grave, board CEO, told ESPNcricinfo.”This will not only increase the standard and hopefully give the panel a headache but will help our selectors better gauge and assess our young players if they’re scoring runs against Dwayne Bravo or Sunil in the final overs or getting Darren [Bravo] and Pollard out.”Browne told ESPNcricinfo he was looking forward to seeing the players in action. “It’s a very important tournament for us in preparation for the World Cup. People that want to put their names in the hat for consideration would need to play Super50 and perform.”Although far from resolved, this would represent a distinct thaw in the relationship between the board and players in what has been a difficult year. It began with Narine, Pollard and Darren Bravo choosing the PSL over helping West Indies in their World Cup Qualifiers, a decision that left Grave and CWI “hugely disappointed”.Matters escalated in April when the Bravo brothers, Pollard and Narine claimed they were denied an opportunity to help the Caribbean after being ignored for a Hurricane Relief charity game between West Indies and a World XI side.Dwayne Bravo embraces Sunil Narine after the latter dismissed Kamran Akmal•Getty Images

Even then, however, Grave had spoken of meeting with the players after the IPL to discuss futures, meetings which have now taken place. This breakthrough of sorts continues Graves’ policy of building bridges with disaffected players. Last year’s amnesty resulted in Chris Gayle and Marlon Samuels returning to the team, Andre Russell’s recent selection into a West Indies squad, improved player contracts and now this olive branch.”Jimmy Adams [director cricket operations] and I met with Dwayne, Darren, Pollard and Narine’s agent in Trinidad,” Grave said. “We met with them individually because they all have different circumstances. I would describe the meetings as positive, as everyone was looking to the future rather than the past.”We talked through our entire schedule, not just now and to the 2019 World Cup, but also through all the matches and tours scheduled up to the World T20 in Australia 2020.”We asked the players individually to take time to consider the requirements of Cricket West Indies, where we are going with the teams and how we are looking for prepare for international series.”We have asked them to send us in writing a summary of their reflections confirming their availability and commitment to play for the Windies in different formats of the game.”The scheduling switch of the Super50, Grave said, wasn’t aimed at getting the quartet to play but the result of a holistic reviw of the domestic system.”We changed the contractual year to start July 1st, so that the off-season would be April-June when we would do new contracts, appraisals and renewals, while players in the system can do their core conditioning work, as well as obviously have a break”, Grave explained.”So now we start contracts in July and go almost straight into CPL. Hence in the review it just made sense to continue with white-ball cricket by having the Super50 in November with October to prepare for the change in format.”Only because we are hosting the ICC Women’s World T20 in the Caribbean it meant moving the Super50 to October for this year.”That switch has coincided with the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) moving to January, instead of its November slot. Grave said CWI had discussions with BCB on the matter, as West Indies are due to tour Bangladesh in November.”It has transpired that the only league we will be clashing with this year is the Afghanistan League but you are always going to clash with some T20 league whenever you schedule it,” Grave said. “But it has potentially fallen at a good time as we used to clash with both the Big Bash and Pakistan Super League.”We had discussions with BCB [Bangladesh Cricket Board] around when the BPL would be as we are touring them in November. We were very clear to them our Super50 was in October and it would be less disruptive for us if the BPL was played in January.”That’s probably the only tactical thing we have done with our schedules to assist players in having this window available to play for us in the Super50.”

Sri Lanka have done some soul-searching after a spate of poor results in ODIs, and identified that they need to become better across a variety of conditions and not just prosper on turning tracks

Andrew Fidel Fernando04-Aug-2018Sri Lanka have done some soul-searching. It was perhaps overdue, given the number of ODIs they have lost over the past 19 months. But even if there are only 10 months to go until the World Cup, it has finally happened, and problems have been identified. Essentially, Sri Lanka have been left behind in a format they were once pioneers in, and must now “change the way [they] play”, as Angelo Mathews puts it, to have any hope of closing the vast gap with the best teams.”We have to take a look at where we have gone wrong in the past,” Mathews said ahead of the third ODI against South Africa, in which Sri Lanka will attempt to avoid a series loss. “In the last 36 ODIs, we have won only nine games and we keep giving excuses. We can give excuses like we have had too many captains, or we’ve rotated too many players. The fact remains that in the last ten series or so we have won only one. We need to change the way we think and our strategies. We sat as a group and we are going to change the way we play.”One of the changes Mathews hopes to make is to become more proficient across a variety of conditions, rather than simply being specialists on spinning tracks at home. The first two matches in Dambulla were played on more batting-friendly tracks than were seen in the Test series – perhaps a purposeful shift, to allow Sri Lanka to accustom themselves to the style of pitches expected in England next year.”Ten months away from World Cup we need to find out whether we are going to gain anything by playing on dusty slow wickets against a team like South Africa,” Mathews said. “Usually what we do when we play teams like England, South Africa and Australia is to give them turning wickets. We rely on our spinners too much, I think. In Tests that is fine, but you cannot do that in ODIs, as you need to look at the bigger picture, which is the World Cup.”We have got to start playing on good wickets. Yes, it might take a bit of time but I can assure you that the team will improve going forward and once the guys get used to it, we can win overseas. The last nine series if you take we have chassed more than 300 three times. That shows that we are a good team and we can play on good wickets. That is the change that we need to make.”Aside from an over-reliance on spin, poor fielding has also plagued Sri Lanka since the start of 2017. On Wednesday, in the second ODI, Sri Lanka dropped two straightforward catches inside the first 10 overs of South Africa’s chase, and had also been woeful in the field. Mathews had said Sri Lanka had fielded like “school kids” right after the loss, and he had more harsh words on his team ahead of the third ODI.
“It was a terrible day for us when it comes to fielding. The first 40 minutes was like a joke – I have never seen my team fielding as bad as we did in the last game. Hopefully it was just a one-off.”

The opener has looked Australia A’s best batsman in India, but hasn’t pushed onto make substantial contributions

Varun Shetty in Alur08-Sep-2018

“The answer is straight up ‘no’.”That was Australia coach Justin Langer’s response to the when asked a few weeks ago if he knew who the best six batsmen in Australia were.”You take Smith who has got 79 hundreds, you take Warner who has got 88 hundreds — I am talking about all A-grade cricket — you take those out. You take [out] Cameron Bancroft who you could say had just started to find his feet, he was a bit of the heartbeat of the team…there are certainly some questions,” Langer had said.That was a few days before the Australia A squad flew to India for a quadrangular one-day series, and about two weeks before Australia A’s four-dayers against India A. With just one batting innings left in the series for the Australians, Langer, perhaps, still doesn’t have too much clarity on who those best six are, with Australia’s tour of the UAE looming. So inseparable have been the performances from the Australians, that barring Khawaja’s grand performances on one extreme, and an underperforming Peter Handscomb’s on the other, the contest is neck-to-neck.In that middling group is New South Wales’ Kurtis Patterson, who had been pushed up to open – what he calls the “best place to bat” in the subcontinent. He has looked the visitors’ best batsman so far, but hasn’t converted his starts into substantial scores.”Yeah it is a bit frustrating,” Patterson said. “I feel like I’m batting nicely and having not opened that much in my career, I know that opening over here is probably one of the better places to bat. It starts turning later and skidding and playing tricks. So a little bit disappointed that I haven’t been able to push on.”Patterson made 48 off 71 balls, including eight classy boundaries, before he was bowled through the gate by left-arm spinner Shahbaz Nadeem in Alur. Until the dismissal, it was an innings full of grace, and he was particularly fluent down the ground against spinners who were taking the ball away from him. In his batting were glimpses of why the 25-year-old left-hander is rated highly, but the premature exit marked something of a career trend.Patterson began his first-class career in style, when he became New South Wales’ youngest centurion in Sheffield Shield cricket at the age of 18, on debut in 2011. Not long after that, Patterson turned down a Big Bash League contract in order to focus on a national Under-19s tournament and a NSW Second XIs appearance.These were signs of a man leaning towards conventional growth as a batsman, but things haven’t gone along that trajectory. Patterson’s 157 on debut continues to be his highest score in first-class cricket, and he has since made four hundreds in 90 innings, with the last one coming in October 2016. Not ideal numbers for a top-order batsman over seven years, but his average still sits at 40-plus. The bigger concern is that since that debut innings, Patterson has faced more deliveries on only four occasions.But Patterson downplayed it, and felt he wasn’t far away from a big score. More importantly, he said, he is now a better player than he had ever been. Patterson was the tenth-highest scorer in the Sheffield Shield in 2017-18, with 672 runs in 19 innings, and for the second season in a row, made more than 600 runs.”I’m a lot better player than I was back then [during the debut].” Patterson said, “I had a lot of luck in that innings. It was one of those days that comes along once every now and then in your career, and I was just lucky that it was my first day when it happened.”I feel like I’m a lot better player and cricketer, a lot more mature person than I was. To win a title with my state team, both one-day and Shield cricket and also a Big Bash title in there as well. It’s been a good six years and hopefully it continues in that trajectory.”With Australia A captain Mitchell Marsh approaching a hundred in Alur, the battle for what could be the final few spots for the Pakistan series has ostensibly narrowed into that of one starter and one reserve batsman. Handscomb, Head, and Patterson would appear the frontrunners, with Queensland’s Marnus Labuschagne, who wasn’t picked for the four-dayers originally, a left-field choice.”We’re all aware that there are some spots available, it doesn’t take a genius to know that,” Patterson said. “But I think the thing we’ve really done well is come over here and play as a team and put in two good performances. We obviously did that in game one, and we’re doing the exact same in game two.”I think that’s the best way. When you’re winning, generally, a lot of players are picked. We all know as batters we’ve to try and get runs. Yes there’s a carrot there with the Test side, but I think what the leadership group has done really well is emphasie the importance of playing as a team and playing to win.”At the moment, even with average numbers in India, Patterson comes in second in the aforementioned three-horse race. But in an Australian cricket year that’ll be long remembered for its tumult, and with a management focused on repair, there isn’t a better chance for Patterson to finally turn his potential into a baggy green. If only he can make that last innings count.

A spell of five wickets in 38 balls from Morne Morkel either side of tea saw the Division One leaders roar back into contention against bottom side Worcestershire

Jon Culley at New Road12-Sep-2018Surrey 268 (Burns 122) and 70 for 0 need a further 202 to beat Worcestershire 336 and 203 (Fell 89)
ScorecardAfter such a season of dominance, this may have been the last place Surrey would have expected to find themselves in a fight, so it is a great credit to Worcestershire that if they are to leave here with a ninth straight win and the title in their pockets they will have earned it.Home supporters were grumbling, having seen Worcestershire’s last eight wickets fall for 49 – five of them to the redoubtable Morne Morkel – but it still left Surrey needing 272 to win. No other team has required Surrey to chase as many fourth-innings runs this season. Having left The Oval with a draw in May, Worcestershire can therefore see themselves as having been their toughest opponents.Goodness knows, Worcestershire might yet win the game, which would set off some tremors of anxiety among the others fighting to avoid relegation. It is probably unlikely, frankly, with Surrey 70 without loss overnight, and for all Ben Twohig’s promise, Worcestershire would fancy themselves rather more with a Ravi Ashwin or a Moeen Ali to exploit a turning pitch. But there is still time for a twist or two yet.Surrey’s task task would have been somewhat easier but for Tom Fell, who supplemented his first-innings 69, which he had made in the most difficult conditions of the match, with another gutsy performance, making 89. He shared an opening partnership of 65 with Daryl Mitchell and enjoyed some strong support again from the debutant Ollie Westbury.Fell has not made a first-class hundred for more than three years, a period in which he has undergone treatment for testicular cancer, and for that reason alone the home crowd were willing him to find those 11 more runs.Morkel did for all their hopes, unfortunately. Surrey may be the team of homegrown talent but the South African has been a major component of the title-chasing machine. In eight matches, he has 50 wickets, a landmark he reached with a brilliant spell of controlled fast bowling in the pleasant afternoon sunshine that yielded his fourth five-wicket haul for the county.All five came within the space of 38 deliveries either side of tea, Fell falling to what became the last ball of the afternoon session when Morkel bowled a beauty to clip the top of off-stump, having found the edge of Alex Milton’s bat in the previous over.Ross Whiteley, Ed Barnard and Wayne Parnell followed in swift order after tea, all pretty much beaten for pace. “He bowled brilliantly and showed why he has been such a fantastic bowler over the past 10 or 15 years,” Fell said. “He was a bit too good for us unfortunately and probably changed the game.”Morne Morkel reached 50 wickets in a hugely successful first season•Getty Images

Amar Virdi exploited the turn in the pitch with 3 for 73 and Worcestershire’s 203 all out was a disappointment, having been 154 for 2. Last-day runs are often the hardest, though, and although Rory Burns and Mark Stoneman came through 20 overs with their wickets intact and the target down to just over 200, a good morning for Worcestershire could make for a tense afternoon and batting on this surface is not straightforward, as Burns discovered on 3 when he inside-edged a ball from Parnell that narrowly missed his leg stump.Worcestershire had the upper hand on the third morning, after all, as Surrey’s plan to add a couple more batting points to their overnight position yielded only one as their last four wickets fell for 55.Burns built on his fourth hundred of the season but not by as much as he would have liked, miscuing a pull to be caught at mid-on when he had reached 122. His was the ninth wicket to fall after Ben Foakes, coming in at No. 9 after feeling ill on Tuesday, had been caught at gully for 13. Foakes, still poorly, was off the field thereafter, Ollie Pope keeping wicket.Worcestershire have their fitness worries too. Joe Clarke has struggled with back spasms, adding to Worcestershire’s worries ahead of Vitality Blast Finals Day on Saturday. They are already without Martin Guptill, who made a major contribution to their success in the early part of the competition, after a hamstring injury forced the New Zealander to cancel his projected return. Brett D’Oliveira has missed this match, also with a back problem.Parnell will play despite splitting the webbing on his right hand and Ben Cox will return after being dropped from this match. Nottinghamshire have cleared Luke Wood to play on loan, as he did in the group stage, and Moeen Ali is available.