In a delightful twist of fate, WWE superstar Mike “The Miz” Mizanin has found a new way to captivate audiences, not with his usual ringside antics or charismatic one-liners, but with a baseball card that celebrates his ceremonial first pitch. It’s almost like The Miz has taken his iconic slogan, “I’m The Miz, and I’m awesome!” and pitched it right into the realm of Major League Baseball.
The 2025 Topps Series 2 baseball card set has snuck in a surprise for fans of both the squared circle and America’s favorite pastime by including this multi-time wrestling champion and reality TV stalwart. Stepping outside the ropes and into Progressive Field earlier this year, The Miz — born and bred in Parma, Ohio — was given the honor of throwing out a first pitch at a Cleveland Guardians game. The moment was pure Cleveland nostalgia, a nod to his roots, wrapped perfectly in that characteristic blend of drama and flair.
Topps, known for its diverse inclusion of pop culture luminaries who’ve tried their hand (or arm, in this case) at ceremonial pitches, has previously featured luminaries such as rapper Travis Scott, basketball prodigy Victor Wembanyama, and global music sensation Bad Bunny. The Miz’s addition to this illustrious list of celebrity-turned-pitchers adds a wrestling twist to the baseball tradition. His card, adorned with his likeness mid-pitch, is nestled among the Short Print (SP) cards of the collection, these hidden gems are produced in smaller quantities, effectively making them the unicorns of the card collecting world.
For any child of the 90s who grew up watching The Miz pivot from an MTV reality show hopeful to the boisterous WWE champion who’s headlined WrestleMania, this card is an unexpected treasure. It’s a charming crossover of pop culture, sports, and a bit of hometown pride.
When the card made its debut, the first to express a mixture of jubilation and disbelief was The Miz himself. Firing off a tweet that could barely contain his mix of astonishment and absolute glee, he wrote, “Wait, this is real?! I need this!” Such a candid response resonates with the many fans who remember him as the audacious young dreamer from The Real World, who narrated his own path to stardom with a cocky grin and unabashed confidence.
But this card is more than just a novel addition to his career accolades. It genuinely underscores how sports, entertainment, and personal history can splice together to construct a new narrative thread. For Clevelanders, The Miz’s card reflects a hometown hero’s journey from Parma to primetime TV, bringing back memories of simpler days when dreams like this felt as intangible as capturing a lightning bolt in a bottle. For collectors, especially those drawn to the unique cross-pollination of sports memorabilia, it presents a thrilling chase, not unlike the search for a rare Pokémon card back in the day.
For those keeping score at home, the 2025 Topps Series 2 set has already hit the shelves, available through online platforms and tucked away in the glossy pages of hobby shop binders. While the allure of headlining baseball stars remain the primary draw for many, the fun little surprises like The Miz’s SP card provide a reminder of how delightfully unpredictable the world of collectible trading cards can be.
The Miz’s unexpected MLB entry, splendidly cataloged through this Topps tribute, has indeed become something of a sideshow darling in the collection. It’s a dance of fandom lines, seamlessly merging the almost familial loyalty of wrestling fans with the passionate statistics-driven obsessions of baseball enthusiasts. This serendipitous crossover invites a whole new swath of potential fans into the esoteric joy of collecting.
As card collectors and fans continue digging through packs looking for this rare gem, there’s a certain poetry in knowing that The Miz, a man who’s built a career on stepping into new spaces and defiantly planting his flag, has now thrown his hat — or rather, his baseball — into this ring. Whether you’re a sports memorabilia enthusiast, a wrestling aficionado, or simply someone who appreciates the improbable intersections of life’s narrative strands, The Miz in the 2025 Topps Series 2 set offers a thought-provoking blend of stories wrapped up in a delightfully collectible form.
