Mookie Betts' backhanded compliment to Padres will have Dodgers fans dying

The Dodgers-Padres rivalry might be shaping up into one of the best in baseball. This season, it was hard to find two teams who were so oftentimes so evenly matched (although San Diego came away with the better regular season record against LA), and whose fanbases seemed quite as antagonistic toward each other.

Things came to a head in the NLDS, and if the rivalry was operating at a simmer before, it turned into a bonfire over those five games. Fan misconduct and a come-from-behind victory for the Dodgers despite the Padres being widely predicted as the winners brought things to a fever pitch.

The players seem fine with each other — Mookie Betts even had Fernando Tatis Jr. on his podcast about a week ahead of the LDS — but there's more animosity between the players and the opposing teams' fanbases.

On the newest episode of that aforementioned podcast, Betts had a rotating cast of teammates sit down with him during the Dodgers' post-parade celebration. When talking about some of the most dedicated fanbases they'd come across, Betts said, "Shout out to y'all at Petco, y'all support y'all's team. I mean, we've got one of these, though," and held up his ring finger to the camera.

Dodgers' Mookie Betts couldn't help but take one parting shot at Padres fans on newest podcast episode

It's not that this rivalry didn't exist before 2024, but this year, any drama can be tracedback to Will Smith calling Jurickson Profar "irrelevant," which Profar then responded to by having the best season of his career. The Padres also walked away with the better matchup record against the Dodgers, even though the Dodgers led baseball in regular season wins. At times, San Diego was even horrifyingly within striking distance of LA's NL West lead.

It makes the Dodgers' eventual World Series win all the more satisfying. Despite the Padres being heavily favored, they seemingly rolled over in the decisive LDS Game 5, and the Dodgers basically just cruised from there.

This rivalry isn't going anywhere anytime soon. The Padres did, admittedly, put a great team on the field this year, and they're going to be maintaining most of that core in 2025. Although we're hopeful that fans won't stoop to throwing things at players again, it won't be a surprise if there are more fireworks next season. We say bring it on. A little healthy competition never hurt anyone.