Baseball is weird. Usually, a rivalry needs a hundred years of history or a specific geographic hatred rooted in the 19th century to actually feel like it has teeth. But right now? The San Diego Padres vs LA Dodgers matchup is basically the only thing people want to talk about in the NL West.
It’s personal.
Honestly, for a long time, Dodgers fans didn't even acknowledge the Padres. They called them "little brother." They looked at San Diego as a nice vacation spot with a pretty ballpark and a team that was perpetually "rebuilding." But things changed around 2020. Since then, it’s been a chaotic mix of bat flips, benches clearing, and postseason heartbreaks that have turned Southern California into a literal powder keg.
The Dragon Up the Freeway
The late Peter Seidler, the former Padres owner who basically willed this team into relevance, famously called the Dodgers "the dragon up the freeway." It’s a perfect metaphor. LA is the Goliath. They have the payroll, the rings, and Shohei Ohtani.
But the Padres? They’ve decided to stop being polite.
You’ve seen the highlights from the 2024 NLDS. That series was pure theater. The Padres had the Dodgers on the ropes, up 2-1, before LA’s pitching staff decided to go on a 24-inning shutout streak to end San Diego's season. That’s the kind of loss that sits in your stomach all winter.
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Even in 2025, the intensity didn't drop a single notch. They met 13 times in the regular season. The Dodgers took nine of those, but don't let the record fool you. Remember that June stretch where they played seven times in 11 days? Both managers, Mike Shildt and Dave Roberts, ended up getting tossed in the finale after a shouting match. When the managers are nearly coming to blows, you know the players are feeling it.
What Makes 2026 Different?
We’re sitting here in early 2026, and the landscape has shifted again. Mike Shildt is out, and Craig Stammen has taken the helm as the Padres' manager. It’s a bold move. Stammen was a locker room leader for years, and he’s already been vocal about the "dragon" up north. He recently told reporters, "There’s nothing better in the big leagues than playing against the best," referring to the two-time defending champion Dodgers.
But the Padres are facing some serious headwinds:
- Starting Pitching: Losing Dylan Cease in free agency hurts. A lot.
- The Darvish Gap: Yu Darvish is expected to miss the entire 2026 season with an injury. That’s a massive hole in the rotation.
- Offseason Losses: Robert Suarez and Ryan O’Hearn are gone.
On the other side, the Dodgers just keep being the Dodgers. They signed Roki Sasaki this past January, beating out—you guessed it—the Padres. It’s like LA is playing a different game sometimes. Adding Sasaki to a rotation that already features the likes of a healthy Shohei Ohtani (as a pitcher again) and Tyler Glasnow is almost unfair.
Why Fans Are Still Obsessed
If you go to a game at Petco Park when the Dodgers are in town, the atmosphere is "aggressive," to put it lightly. Mookie Betts even commented on it, saying the San Diego crowd has a level of "hatred" toward LA that he hasn't felt anywhere else.
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It's not just about the standings. It’s about identity.
San Diego wants to prove it isn't just a "suburb of Los Angeles" in the baseball world. They’ve got Manny Machado, who is the ultimate villain in Chavez Ravine, and Fernando Tatis Jr., who plays with a flair that drives purists crazy but makes the sport actually fun to watch.
The X-Factors for the 2026 Season
If the Padres are going to actually slay the dragon this year, they’re going to need their "new guard" to step up immediately. Keep an eye on Ethan Salas. Yeah, he’s young. He’s 19 and coming off a 2025 season hampered by a back injury. But the kid is still the top catching prospect in the world for a reason.
Then there’s Kruz Schoolcraft. Standing 6'8", the lefty is the "breakout prospect" everyone is eyeing for 2026. If he can give the Padres some quality innings mid-season, the dynamic of this rivalry changes.
The Dodgers, meanwhile, are focused on the "three-peat." It’s a word that hasn't been used seriously in baseball for decades. But with their roster, it's a real conversation. They have the depth to survive injuries that would sink any other franchise.
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The Schedule You Need to Know
The 2026 regular season kicks off at Petco Park on March 26 against the Tigers, but the real dates everyone is circling involve the Dodgers.
- Spring Training: They meet early in Peoria on February 22. It’s "just" spring training, but expect some chirping.
- First Major Series: The first meaningful clash happens at Petco Park on May 18.
- Rivalry Weekend: MLB has officially scheduled a "Rivalry Weekend" for May 15-17. While the Dodgers are technically slated to play the Angels, the heat usually carries over into the Padres series immediately following.
Actionable Insights for Fans
If you're planning to follow the San Diego Padres vs LA Dodgers saga this year, don't just watch the box scores. Look at the pitch counts. The Padres' bullpen is thinner this year, so if the Dodgers can chase the starter by the 5th inning, it’s usually lights out.
- Watch the Machado-Sasaki Matchup: If Sasaki starts against San Diego, watch how Machado handles the high-velocity splitters. It’ll be the defining chess match of the season.
- Buy Tickets Early: Every single game between these two in 2025 was a sellout at Petco Park. Don't wait for the secondary market to gouge you in May.
- Monitor the NL West Tiebreakers: In 2025, a single game separated these teams for the division lead late in August. Every head-to-head win counts double in the new playoff format.
The reality is that the Dodgers have more talent on paper. They always do. But baseball isn't played on paper. It's played in a stadium where 45,000 people are screaming their lungs out. The Padres have shown they can win the "vibes" battle; now they just have to prove they can win the war of attrition.
Keep an eye on the injury reports for the San Diego rotation. If they don't add another veteran arm before the trade deadline, the "dragon" might just cruise to another division title. But if the Friars stay healthy? We might be looking at the best season of baseball Southern California has ever seen.