It’s not every day that a rookie manages to light up both the Major League diamond and the bustling world of trading card fandom, but Hyeseong Kim of the Los Angeles Dodgers seems to be that rare phenomenon. This 26-year-old rookie has been a revelation since he took the field for the Dodgers on May 3, swiftly becoming a darling among fans and collectors alike. With a dazzling .386 batting average and an OPS flirting with .985 across 31 games, Kim is not just winning games; he’s winning hearts, and quite a few online auctions as well.
The 2025 Topps Series 2 rookie cards showcasing Kim’s meteoric rise are as hot as LA’s summer days, with both mainstream and niche collectors pursuing his cards with fervor. From base cards to autographs, from nostalgic throwback inserts to eye-catching foils, Hyeseong Kim is the name on every collector’s lips—and eBay search bar.
In the world of baseball card enthusiasts, redemption autographs are often considered the crown jewels, and Kim’s offerings in this category have not disappointed. His signed redemptions are generating tangible excitement, with some reaching impressive price tags ranging from $1,200 to $1,704. This isn’t surprising for someone of Kim’s burgeoning reputation, but it certainly transforms these cards from mere mementos into hot commodities.
The fervor extends to the unique one-of-one cards and low-numbered parallels, where the competition becomes downright fierce. A rare Gold Foil 1/1 was snagged for a cool $650, another Black Diamante /10 went for $600, and a Fireworks Foil /10 literally set the market ablaze at $350. And let’s not forget the Red Fireworks Foil /5—a card generating buzz akin to a Hollywood premiere, with collectors eager to get their hands on one.
Kim’s appeal isn’t just limited to rarities, though his vintage-style 1990 Topps Baseball Mojo Foil RC with its Dodger Blue borders has become quite the collectible. Selling for around $10 in its raw form, the signed versions of this charming throwback are nudging upwards of $400, proving that nostalgia can be both delightful and profitable.
Adding to Kim’s eccentric allure is the Golden Mirror Variation, which, while featuring the rookie caught mid-press conference, defies traditional trading card wisdom by being genuinely oddball and gloriously charming. Despite—or maybe because of—its quirkiness, this particular card variation has become a fan favorite, with prices posted between $150 and $425. True collectors know that sometimes the offbeat is the most cherished.
Among the notable finds in the collectible market is the orange foil auto from Kim’s Flagship Real One card, numbered to 25. An auction for one such valuable redemption recently concluded at the princely sum of $1,704, while another sits tantalizingly on the market at $1,500, beckoning ambitious bidders.
Kim isn’t just a rookie on the rise; he’s a phenomenon making waves in both the MLB and the collector sector. His cards commandeering three of the top 20 sales over $1,000 from the 2025 Topps Series 2 set is a testament to his growing influence. Sharing space with long-established luminaries such as Shohei Ohtani and Roki Sasaki, not to mention dominating the top-end sales for the Dodgers—who account for 16 of the top 20 tracked by industry stalwart Card Ladder—Kim is undeniably carving out a niche for himself.
Time on the field is shared between second base and center field, and with every crack of the bat, Kim’s presence in the world of collectibles grows stronger. Whether he’s executing plays on the field or buoying his trading card prices with each noteworthy performance, Hyeseong Kim is demonstrating the kind of dual-pronged success that few achieve.
Collectors are acutely aware that Kim is more than a passing fancy, and his escalating card values are a reflection of both his on-field prowess and his burgeoning star power. Far more than just another rookie, Kim is becoming a symbol of potential realized, the embodiment of the thrill of the hunt for collectors who dream of discovering the next big thing.
As the season progresses, all eyes—glued to both the field and online marketplaces—are on Kim. In him, the Dodgers have unearthed a player whose future appears as bright as a California sunrise, and thanks to those pitching prowess and soaring trading cards, Hyeseong Kim is already writing his name in the annals of both American pastime and collector folklore.
