In a delightful twist of fate that conjures visions of over-the-top wrestling entrances and curveball pitches alike, WWE superstar Mike “The Miz” Mizanin has tossed himself into the annals of Major League Baseball history—not with a notorious pile driver, but with a ceremonial first pitch immortalized in cardboard. The Miz has found his way onto the glossy surface of collectible lore via the 2025 Topps Series 2 baseball card set, a testament to the marriage of sports celebrity culture that’s as flashy as one of his in-ring monologues.
While this might appear as a randomly dealt card from the pack of life, it’s actually a well-staged continuation of Topps’ tradition to spotlight celebrity first-pitches with special Short Print (SP) cards. These cards are printed in limited numbers, making them as elusive and prized as a hidden treasure map—detectable by those few with keen eyes and swift collector’s fingers. It’s a rare honor, previously bestowed upon an eclectic mix of public figures like music sensation Bad Bunny and burgeoning basketball phenomenon Victor Wembanyama, each taking a momentary baseball stage in a delightful act of sporting crossover.
For The Miz, a Parma, Ohio native, this particular card represents more than just a tap on the back from the crossover gods of celebrity. It is a hearty nod to his Cleveland roots—a ceremonial salute to his hometown team, the Guardians, akin to a dramatic hometown return for a conquering hero. The pitch itself wasn’t merely a stunt engineered for social media clout; it was a certified moment of personal pride, celebrated by an athlete known for his audacious antics and verbal grandiloquences.
Donning his new collectible guise wasn’t pre-scripted in the dramatic annals of WWE narratives, but rather a spontaneous tribute to The Miz’s unexpected foray into pitching—an art form with its own rhythm, as different from the wrestling ring as a sonnet is from a slam poem. True to his offbeat style, The Miz hit social media with genuine surprise once the card hit the market. “Wait, this is real?! I need this!” he exclaimed, a reaction shared reverberantly across his fanbase—a testament to his ability to blend disbelief with delightful reality.
This unexpected memento of The Miz’s Cleveland-centric campaign is now on the must-have lists of collectors who fervently chase the excitement of unpredictability, be it a holographic hero from another realm or an SP card of their wrestling idols chucking baseballs. These fans are set to embark on a scavenger hunt through hobby shops and virtual marketplaces, all hoping to snag that one-of-a-kind memento that pops like a 3D technicolor-on-field memory.
The 2025 Topps Series 2 set, having hit the shelves and online markets, teems with the promise of hidden gems and collector’s curiosity. For those who pledge their allegiance both to the squared circle and the baseball diamond, The Miz’s crossover card isn’t just a collectible—it’s a bridge between passions. As he adds this unique accolade to a storied résumé, inclusive of MTV exploits and WrestleMania headlining acts, The Miz extends his reach, not unlike the very pitch he threw on that Cleveland afternoon.
So, as collectors, sports enthusiasts, and card aficionados alike rush to captivate their own a slice of this collectible heaven, one thing is made abundantly clear: The Miz, with his Cleveland first pitch, has thrown more than a ball; he’s thrown a connection, tightened across realms of entertainment, drawing fans through the looking glass of sports memorabilia, where the fantastical juncture of athletic prowess, celebrity appeal, and cardboard art come to life in a way that would make any fan, or The Miz himself, declare, “Awesome!”
