The Mariners and Padres now will play for a real Eddie Vedder Cup

In Major League Baseball, every team has a “natural” rival that they meet annually in interleague play. Most of the time the moniker fits, such as with the two teams in the Los Angeles area, or in New York, or Ohio.

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When it comes to the Seattle Mariners, their “natural” rivalry is more of a punchline, as they’re matched up with the San Diego Padres for circumstances akin to a game of musical chairs. Adding to the joke is that the rivalry has long unofficially been referred to as the Vedder Cup in honor of Eddie Vedder, who famously moved from San Diego to Seattle in the early 1990s to become the frontman of Pearl Jam.

That name is no longer just a joke.

The Mariners and Padres announced Friday that they have joined up with the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer to officially make the series the Vedder Cup beginning this season.

Officially introducing The Vedder Cup! 🏆

We’re partnering with the @Padres and Rock & Roll HOFer @eddievedder to designate our season series as the Vedder Cup – each year, the winner will take home the Vedder Cup trophy designed by Eddie himself!

🎸 https://t.co/c5Kvv0zBCL pic.twitter.com/zA7OdcfswK

— Seattle Mariners (@Mariners) March 14, 2025

The M’s and Padres will play six games this year, with the winner being awarded a trophy designed by and featuring a guitar provided by Vedder himself. The trophy will be revealed during the 2025 season, prior to the first meeting between the teams on May 16 in San Diego.

The series also has a charitable aspect, with the Mariners and Padres partnering to support EB Research Partnership, a charity co-founded by Eddie and Jill Vedder that raises funding for research to discover treatments and cures for Epidermolysis Bullosa (EB).

There’s a clever tiebreaking format for the Vedder Cup. If the teams go 3-3 against each other with an even run differential, the trophy will go to the team with the highest EV – exit velocity – recorded on a single hit.

Both teams will host a Vedder Cup theme game – May 17 in San Diego, and Aug. 27 in Seattle. The two teams will also offer Vedder Cup merchandise at their team stores.

“We are thrilled that we were able to bring the Vedder Cup concept to life in such a fun and impactful way,” Mariners executive vice president and chief operating officer Trevor Gooby said in a press release. “Creating and sharing memorable events like this with Mariners fans is extremely gratifying, and I am very thankful for Eddie, his team, EB Research Partnership and the Padres in sharing the Mariners vision and commitment to celebrating and serving the Seattle community.”

“We’re proud to partner with the Mariners and Eddie Vedder to announce the creation of the Vedder Cup, a special interleague rivalry series that celebrates the unique connection between our cities through the rock legend and Pearl Jam frontman,” said Padres CEO Erik Greupner. “This West Coast showdown will create some cool, fun, and memorable moments for our fans while bringing meaningful awareness to EB research. We can’t wait to see this rivalry series grow and look forward to battling the Mariners for the Vedder Cup.”

Vedder is an avid baseball fan – although he notably roots for the Chicago Cubs, as he spent most of his youth growing up in Illinois. Vedder has appeared at Mariners games in the past however, even wearing an M’s batting helmet to throw out the first pitch on a Pearl Jam Night.

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