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<\/p>\nIf you happen to open a pack of baseball cards this year and come across one that says \u201cMississauga Masher\u201d across the front, you might wonder what exactly you\u2019re looking at.<\/p>\n
For baseball fans in Mississauga, however, the answer is pretty easy.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s Josh Naylor.<\/p>\n
The Mississauga-born major leaguer has been given one of the most unusual \u2014 and locally significant \u2014 cards in Topps\u2019 new 2026 Heritage baseball set, with his regular name replaced by the nickname \u201cMississauga Masher.\u201d<\/p>\n
And for a city that doesn\u2019t exactly have a long history of appearing on the front of major-league baseball cards, it\u2019s a pretty big deal.<\/p>\n
The card is one of just 10 Nickname Variations included in the 2026 Topps Heritage set, which pays tribute to the classic 1977 Topps design. Other players receiving the nickname treatment include Bobby Witt Jr. (\u201cBobby Baseball\u201d), Kyle Schwarber (\u201cSchwarbs\u201d), Cal Raleigh (\u201cBig Dumper\u201d) and Roman Anthony (\u201cRoman Empire\u201d).<\/p>\n
But only one of them has his hometown featured quite so prominently.<\/p>\n
Naylor\u2019s card is No. 129 in the set and shows the Seattle Mariners first baseman with \u201cMississauga Masher\u201d where collectors would normally expect to see his name. The variation is a short print, meaning collectors are considerably less likely to find it than the standard Naylor card.<\/p>\n
For Mississauga, there is an added bit of novelty.<\/p>\n
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Josh Naylor, the Mississauga Masher (eBay photo)<\/p>\n
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The city\u2019s name is instantly recognizable to local residents but perhaps less so to many American baseball fans. Mississauga is immediately west of Toronto, and Naylor grew up playing in the suburban sandlots before making his way to the highest level of professional baseball.<\/p>\n
He attended St. Joan of Arc Catholic Secondary School and played for the Ontario Blue Jays, establishing himself as one of Canada\u2019s top young baseball prospects.<\/p>\n
In fact, Naylor\u2019s talent was evident long before he reached the majors.<\/p>\n
He joined the Ontario Blue Jays when he was just 12 years old, at a time when many of his teammates were several years older. His power quickly made him stand out, and by his high school years he was attracting attention from scouts throughout North America.<\/p>\n
The Miami Marlins selected Naylor 12th overall in the first round of the 2015 MLB Draft, making him the first Canadian player ever selected in the first round by the franchise. He eventually made his major-league debut with the San Diego Padres in 2019.<\/p>\n
Since then, Naylor has played for the Padres, Cleveland Guardians and Arizona Diamondbacks before landing with the Seattle Mariners.<\/p>\n
His career took another major step in 2024 when he was selected to the American League All-Star team. He also became part of one of baseball\u2019s more unusual family stories, as his younger brother Bo reached the majors with Cleveland and another brother, Myles, was selected in the 2023 MLB Draft. All three brothers attended St. Joan of Arc in Mississauga.<\/p>\n
Josh is now locked up with Seattle through the 2030 season after signing a five-year, $92.5-million contract with the Mariners in November 2025.<\/p>\n
And now his hometown has followed him onto a piece of cardboard that could end up in the hands of collectors all over North America.<\/p>\n
The nickname variation is considerably harder to find than Naylor\u2019s regular Heritage card. Hobby publication Beckett lists the Nickname Variation as a short print appearing approximately once every 401 hobby packs.<\/p>\n
That rarity has already translated into collector interest, with raw copies of the \u201cMississauga Masher\u201d card appearing for sale online for roughly $15 to $25 Canadian, depending on the seller and condition.<\/p>\n
Of course, the real value for Mississauga isn\u2019t necessarily measured in dollars.<\/p>\n
Topps could have used any nickname for Naylor.<\/p>\n
Instead, it chose one that puts the name of his hometown right where baseball fans across the continent can see it.<\/p>\n
For collectors in Seattle, it\u2019s a Josh Naylor card.<\/p>\n
For Canadians, it\u2019s a piece of baseball memorabilia celebrating one of the country\u2019s best players.<\/p>\n
And for Mississauga, it may be something even more unusual:<\/p>\n
A little piece of the city, sitting right on the front of a Major League Baseball card.<\/p>\n