$24M Dodgers Star Spills on True Feelings About Padres Rivalry With Huge Statement Ahead of Showdown

Last season’s heartbreak still lingers for Padres fans. Who could forget that wild game against the Dodgers—a true nail-biter that ended 8-7 in favor of LA after extra innings? It felt like the Padres had it in their grasp, only to watch it slip away at the very end. Both teams left everything on the field, and you could feel the tension in every pitch and every cheer from the stands. This is the kind of rivalry that gets under your skin in the best way. But while Padres fans might circle these games on their calendars, convinced LA is their main foe, the Dodgers’ $25 million star doesn’t quite see it that way.

Over the past few seasons, this rivalry has only grown hotter. And as the next showdown approaches, the Dodgers’ star, Max Muncy, decided to be honest. It wasn’t like he was dismissing the competition lying ahead of facing the Padres with a 37-28 record; he simply doesn’t agree with their matchup being labeled as an NL West fierce rivalry. In a recent interview with Foul Territory, Muncy didn’t mince his words when he seemingly invalidated the Padres as a true rival of the Dodgers. In his view, the San Francisco Giants remain their only true rival. “For me, your rival is just one team. You don’t have multiple teams as your rival,” Muncy stated.

If you think about it, Muncy isn’t entirely wrong. Both the Dodgers and Giants hold an equal count of World Series titles (Eight). When asked the reason to consider the Giants as one true rival, Muncy explained, “Everyone wants to bring this question up, and my answer to that is the Padres bring everything that is in a rivalry, um, but for me, my personal opinion, you only have one rival, you know. I don’t like when people say you have rivals. I just think if you have a rival, it’s your, you know, it’s your counterpart, and that’s always going to be the Giants.”

Max Muncy says the Giants will always be the Dodgers only rival.

“For me, your rival is just one team. You don’t have multiple teams as your rival.” pic.twitter.com/9az5E3QDmX

— Foul Territory (@FoulTerritoryTV) June 9, 2025

Take a step back from the box scores and highlight reels, and the Dodgers-Giants rivalry becomes something even bigger—a living tradition passed down through generations. While the Padres have recently injected new heat into the division, the Giants are the team that stirs up old family stories, neighborhood debates, and memories that stretch all the way back to the days when both clubs called New York home.

Coming down to the Dodgers-Giants rivalry, the hype is real. Both teams have no shortage of exceptional talent, drawing huge numbers of fans and creating an electrifying atmosphere.

If you remember, the last time both Giants and Dodgers faced each other was on July 25, 2024, with the Dodgers winning 6-4. More significantly, the Los Angeles won 14 out of their last 20 games facing the Giants. While the Dodgers have Shohei Ohtani, arguably one of the greatest players in MLB at the moment, with 23 home runs this season, the Giants have Matt Chapman and Heliot Ramos, who combined have 23 home runs under their belts.

So, Muncy doesn’t seem to be wrong about the rivalry. It’s actually going to be a cracker of a game when the Dodgers face the Giants on June 14. More importantly, with little scope for errors in the tight division race, the Dodgers-Giants showdown will be nothing short of a spectacle to watch.

Muncy’s comments don’t just draw a line between past and present—they challenge us to think about what makes a rivalry truly matter. Is it the latest spark, like the Padres’ recent push, or is it the weight of decades of unforgettable moments and shared history? Their rivalry with the Padres has a long-standing history, and the Padres can still give them a run for their money.

Why are the Padres considered a rival of the Dodgers?

The Dodgers and Padres have maintained a long-standing rivalry since 1969, when organizers launched a game series called “the I-5 Series.” The names of Los Angeles and San Diego stadiums were connected by a highway, which is where the series originated. Though the Dodgers-Giants rivalry has been one from the books, given that the Dodgers and Pares had spent quite some time in New York, the narrative soon changed, and it all started from there.

For those unaware, in 1996, the Padres were lagging behind the Dodgers in the NL West, but in the final game of the series, the Friars managed to win the three-game series and clinched the NL West title. Ever since then, the two teams have battled fiercely every time they face each other.

Both teams have been performing well, and it cannot be denied that the Padres can give the Dodgers a tough fight anytime. Manny Machado of the Padres has been batting at a massive .320 average and posted 10 home runs at a .898 OPS. Talk about Fernando Tatis Jr., who batted at a .260 average and homered 13 times with a .796 OPS. So, options are plentiful for both teams.

Amid the on-field rivalry, fans have sometimes taken this rivalry a bit too far. The Dodgers fanbase continues to mock the rival team, and the Padres fans haven’t held back either. One instance was when a Clayton Kershaw crying meme went viral, causing tensions between the two fan bases.

Another incident took place when Machado was accused of intentionally throwing the ball toward the Dodgers manager, Dave Roberts. Although it was unintentional, Roberts ignited the fire, and the Dodgers gave them a befitting reply by throwing 24 shutout innings. So, both teams have been at the center of many controversies. However, that cannot take away from the fact that both teams are built to win.

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