New Vedder Cup Series Between Padres, Mariners Features Intriguing Tiebreaker

The tiebreaker ensures the trophy named after the Pearl Jam singer goes to the "Better Man."

Seattle won the season series against San Diego last year, winning three of four matchups. / Stephen Brashear-Imagn Images

The San Diego Padres and Seattle Mariners announced Friday that they teamed up to create the Vedder Cup for their annual series, a trophy named after Pearl Jam singer Eddie Vedder, who spent his adolescence in San Diego and grew to fame in Seattle.

The trophy will, of course, be awarded to the team who wins the most games each year in their season series. But if there is a tie in wins, it goes to a couple of creative tiebreakers.

If the season series ends in a tie, the team with a greater run differential will claim the Vedder Cup. But if that is also a tie, it goes to the second tiebreaker that references Vedder's initials "EV."

"If the clubs share an even run differential in the season series, the team with the highest exit velocity recorded on a hit will win the Vedder Cup," the Mariners' website reads, mentioning that "EV" is both Vedder's initials and the acronym for exit velocity.

The Mariners and Padres are scheduled to play six games against each other this season—a three-game series at Petco Park in San Diego from May 16-18 and another three-game set at T-Mobile Park in Seattle from Aug. 25-27.

May the "Better Man" win.

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