Longest Gaps Between MLB Meetings

The longest stretch two teams went without playing, while both were still playing other opponents. Longest wait: Boston Red Sox and Pittsburgh Pirates went 99 years between meetings, 1903 to 2003.

Team

#	Series	Years	Between
1	Boston Red Sox vs Pittsburgh Pirates1903 to 2003	99	1903 to 2003
2	Boston Red Sox vs San Francisco Giants1912 to 2004	91	1912 to 2004
3	Chicago Cubs vs Chicago White Sox1906 to 1997	90	1906 to 1997
4	Detroit Tigers vs Pittsburgh Pirates1909 to 1998	88	1909 to 1998
5	Atlanta Braves vs Oakland Athletics1914 to 2003	88	1914 to 2003
6	Boston Red Sox vs Chicago Cubs1918 to 2005	86	1918 to 2005
7	Boston Red Sox vs Los Angeles Dodgers1916 to 2002	85	1916 to 2002
8	Chicago White Sox vs San Francisco Giants1917 to 2003	85	1917 to 2003
9	Cleveland Indians vs Los Angeles Dodgers1920 to 2003	82	1920 to 2003
10	Boston Red Sox vs Philadelphia Phillies1915 to 1997	81	1915 to 1997
11	Chicago White Sox vs Cincinnati Reds1919 to 1997	77	1919 to 1997
12	Oakland Athletics vs San Francisco Giants1913 to 1989	76	1913 to 1989
13	Chicago Cubs vs Oakland Athletics1929 to 2004	74	1929 to 2004
14	Oakland Athletics vs St. Louis Cardinals1931 to 2004	72	1931 to 2004
15	Minnesota Twins vs Pittsburgh Pirates1925 to 1997	71	1925 to 1997
16	Minnesota Twins vs San Francisco Giants1933 to 2003	69	1933 to 2003
17	Chicago Cubs vs New York Yankees1938 to 2003	64	1938 to 2003
18	Baltimore Orioles vs St. Louis Cardinals1944 to 2003	58	1944 to 2003
19	Cincinnati Reds vs Detroit Tigers1940 to 1998	57	1940 to 1998
20	Chicago Cubs vs Detroit Tigers1945 to 1998	52	1945 to 1998
21	Cleveland Indians vs San Francisco Giants1954 to 2005	50	1954 to 2005
22	Atlanta Braves vs Cleveland Indians1948 to 1995	47	1948 to 1995
23	New York Yankees vs Philadelphia Phillies1950 to 1997	46	1950 to 1997
24	New York Yankees vs Pittsburgh Pirates1960 to 2005	44	1960 to 2005
25	Chicago White Sox vs Los Angeles Dodgers1959 to 2003	43	1959 to 2003
26	Los Angeles Dodgers vs Minnesota Twins1965 to 2005	39	1965 to 2005
27	New York Yankees vs San Francisco Giants1962 to 2002	39	1962 to 2002
28	New York Yankees vs St. Louis Cardinals1964 to 2003	38	1964 to 2003
29	Atlanta Braves vs New York Yankees1958 to 1996	38	1958 to 1996
30	Baltimore Orioles vs Los Angeles Dodgers1966 to 2002	35	1966 to 2002
31	Boston Red Sox vs St. Louis Cardinals1967 to 2003	35	1967 to 2003
32	Baltimore Orioles vs Cincinnati Reds1970 to 2005	34	1970 to 2005
33	Detroit Tigers vs St. Louis Cardinals1934 to 1968	33	1934 to 1968
34	New York Mets vs Oakland Athletics1973 to 2005	31	1973 to 2005
35	Boston Red Sox vs Cincinnati Reds1975 to 2005	29	1975 to 2005
36	Baltimore Orioles vs New York Mets1969 to 1997	27	1969 to 1997
37	Cincinnati Reds vs New York Yankees1976 to 2003	26	1976 to 2003
38	Baltimore Orioles vs Pittsburgh Pirates1979 to 2005	25	1979 to 2005
39	Kansas City Royals vs Philadelphia Phillies1980 to 2004	23	1980 to 2004
40	Los Angeles Dodgers vs New York Yankees1981 to 2004	22	1981 to 2004
41	Detroit Tigers vs San Diego Padres1984 to 2003	18	1984 to 2003
42	Cincinnati Reds vs Oakland Athletics1972 to 1990	17	1972 to 1990
43	Milwaukee Brewers vs St. Louis Cardinals1982 to 1997	14	1982 to 1997
44	Los Angeles Dodgers vs Oakland Athletics1974 to 1988	13	1974 to 1988
45	Baltimore Orioles vs Philadelphia Phillies1983 to 1997	13	1983 to 1997
46	Kansas City Royals vs St. Louis Cardinals1985 to 1997	11	1985 to 1997
47	Milwaukee Brewers vs Oakland Athletics2002 to 2013	10	2002 to 2013
48	Cincinnati Reds vs Minnesota Twins2001 to 2012	10	2001 to 2012
49	Cleveland Indians vs Houston Astros2001 to 2012	10	2001 to 2012
50	Chicago White Sox vs New York Mets2002 to 2013	10	2002 to 2013
51	Boston Red Sox vs New York Mets1986 to 1997	10	1986 to 1997
52	Atlanta Braves vs Minnesota Twins1991 to 2002	10	1991 to 2002
53	Chicago Cubs vs Kansas City Royals2001 to 2011	9	2001 to 2011
54	Milwaukee Brewers vs Texas Rangers1997 to 2007	9	1997 to 2007
55	Minnesota Twins vs St. Louis Cardinals1987 to 1997	9	1987 to 1997
56	Detroit Tigers vs Miami Marlins2004 to 2013	9	2004 to 2013
57	San Francisco Giants vs Tampa Bay Rays2004 to 2013	9	2004 to 2013
58	Kansas City Royals vs New York Mets2004 to 2013	9	2004 to 2013
59	Kansas City Royals vs Los Angeles Dodgers2005 to 2014	9	2005 to 2014
60	Chicago White Sox vs San Diego Padres2005 to 2014	8	2005 to 2014
61	Oakland Athletics vs Washington Nationals2005 to 2014	8	2005 to 2014
62	New York Mets vs Tampa Bay Rays2001 to 2009	8	2001 to 2009
63	Los Angeles Dodgers vs Texas Rangers2001 to 2009	7	2001 to 2009
64	Chicago White Sox vs Milwaukee Brewers2001 to 2009	7	2001 to 2009
65	Milwaukee Brewers vs Toronto Blue Jays1997 to 2005	7	1997 to 2005
66	Milwaukee Brewers vs New York Yankees1997 to 2005	7	1997 to 2005
67	St. Louis Cardinals vs Texas Rangers2004 to 2011	7	2004 to 2011
68	Cincinnati Reds vs Kansas City Royals1999 to 2006	7	1999 to 2006
69	Chicago Cubs vs Cleveland Indians1999 to 2006	7	1999 to 2006
70	Kansas City Royals vs San Diego Padres2004 to 2011	6	2004 to 2011
71	Detroit Tigers vs New York Mets1997 to 2004	6	1997 to 2004
72	Milwaukee Brewers vs Seattle Mariners1997 to 2004	6	1997 to 2004
73	Chicago Cubs vs Toronto Blue Jays2008 to 2014	6	2008 to 2014
74	Baltimore Orioles vs Colorado Rockies2007 to 2013	6	2007 to 2013
75	Baltimore Orioles vs Chicago Cubs2008 to 2014	6	2008 to 2014
76	Arizona Diamondbacks vs Baltimore Orioles2007 to 2013	6	2007 to 2013
77	Chicago Cubs vs Tampa Bay Rays2008 to 2014	6	2008 to 2014
78	Kansas City Royals vs San Francisco Giants2008 to 2014	6	2008 to 2014
79	Los Angeles Dodgers vs Tampa Bay Rays2007 to 2013	6	2007 to 2013
80	Detroit Tigers vs Philadelphia Phillies2007 to 2013	6	2007 to 2013
81	Cleveland Indians vs Milwaukee Brewers2009 to 2015	6	2009 to 2015
82	Los Angeles Dodgers vs Toronto Blue Jays2007 to 2013	6	2007 to 2013
83	Chicago White Sox vs Philadelphia Phillies2007 to 2013	6	2007 to 2013
84	New York Mets vs Seattle Mariners2008 to 2014	6	2008 to 2014
85	Cincinnati Reds vs Tampa Bay Rays2005 to 2011	6	2005 to 2011
86	Cincinnati Reds vs Texas Rangers2007 to 2013	6	2007 to 2013
87	Oakland Athletics vs Pittsburgh Pirates2004 to 2010	6	2004 to 2010
88	Kansas City Royals vs Washington Nationals2004 to 2010	6	2004 to 2010
89	Atlanta Braves vs Chicago White Sox2004 to 2010	6	2004 to 2010
90	Arizona Diamondbacks vs Cleveland Indians2005 to 2011	6	2005 to 2011
91	Minnesota Twins vs Philadelphia Phillies2004 to 2010	6	2004 to 2010
92	Chicago Cubs vs Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim2004 to 2010	6	2004 to 2010
93	Milwaukee Brewers vs Tampa Bay Rays2005 to 2011	6	2005 to 2011
94	Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim vs Milwaukee Brewers2004 to 2010	6	2004 to 2010
95	Arizona Diamondbacks vs Chicago White Sox2005 to 2011	6	2005 to 2011
96	Atlanta Braves vs Kansas City Royals2004 to 2010	6	2004 to 2010
97	Baltimore Orioles vs San Francisco Giants2004 to 2010	6	2004 to 2010
98	Philadelphia Phillies vs Seattle Mariners2005 to 2011	6	2005 to 2011
99	Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim vs Florida Marlins2005 to 2011	6	2005 to 2011
100	Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim vs Pittsburgh Pirates2007 to 2013	5	2007 to 2013

How this list works

The longest stretch each series went between two consecutive meetings, at least 3 years. A stretch is skipped when a season in between is missing games for either team, because that is a hole in the data, not a gap in the rivalry.

Each row links to the full matchup page, opened on the MLB numbers. Think you know who leads a series? Try the MLB rivalry quiz.

More MLB records

Records include games through Oct 27, 2026.

Sources

Records are computed from every final game result in the Matchup Index database. About the data.