The sun shines bright in Los Angeles, not just on the city’s beaches or its star-studded boulevards, but on the baseball diamond where the Los Angeles Dodgers have unearthed their latest gem. Meet Hyeseong Kim, the 26-year-old rookie who has been electrifying Major League Baseball since his debut on May 3rd. But while the buzz around Kim’s performance ensures the applause keeps coming from the stands, it’s an entirely different accolade he’s receiving from aficionado corners in the realm of trading cards.
With a batting average gleaming like polished gold at .386 and an OPS flirting with .985 over 31 games, Kim’s prowess with the bat is nothing short of dazzling. As if choreographed by the muses themselves, every crack of his bat seems to translate into a rising crescendo in the world of rookie card sales. In this dance of numbers and nostalgic flair, Kim isn’t just playing ball—he’s orchestrating a symphony of collector enthusiasm that’s taking the trading card community by storm.
His 2025 Topps Series 2 rookie cards are the stars of this show, riding a tidal wave of interest that sweeps from baseline versions to autographed tokens, and even throwback inserts that would bring a tear to any seasoned collector’s eye. The audience for this particular performance? Anyone who understands the thrill of nostalgia captured in cardboard.
In the spotlight are the redemption autos—a quintessential treasure trove for card hunters. It appears that scarcity mixed with Kim’s burgeoning fame is a recipe many are willing to invest in, with some of these pieces breaking the $1,200-$1,704 range, each sale reverberating through the community like a home run frolicking into the parking lot.
And who could ignore the serial-numbered spectacles? A Gold Foil 1/1 shimmering at $650, a Black Diamante /10 flashing at $600, and a Fireworks Foil /10 igniting bidding fervor at $350. These are not mere cards; they are tiny cardboard galaxies encapsulating Kim’s larger-than-life rookie season. And oh, there’s a Red Fireworks Foil /5 that seems to be playing a thrilling game of hide and seek with collectors, its allure almost mythical.
For those in love with the vintage aura, Kim’s 1990 Topps Baseball Mojo Foil RC, kissed by the Dodger Blue borders reminiscent of a bygone era, has become a modest beacon of desirability, raw versions swapping hands at $10. But when you add an autograph to the mix, the ante is upped significantly with the price pushing towards the $400 mark.
Among this frenzy stands one particular curio—the Golden Mirror Variation. This card captures Kim mid-press conference, serving a slice of reality within a frame typically saved for action shots of epic dives or cheeky winks in the middle of a swing. It’s this idiosyncrasy that summons intrigue, making it a charming oddity waltzing between $150 and $425 in different listings.
And let’s tip our caps to the orange foil auto from his Flagship Real One card. Numbered to just 25, it embodies scarcity married to desirability. A redemption for this elusive treasure recently found a home for $1,704, while another sits patiently on eBay at $1,500, its price seemingly whispering of future glory to anyone with an ear for investment.
It’s no minor footnote that three out of the top 20 sales soaring over $1,000 from the entire 2025 Topps Series 2 collection are tied to Kim, rubbing shoulders with greats like Shohei Ohtani and Roki Sasaki. The Dodgers collective, ever dominant, have snatched 16 out of the top 20 tracked sales according to Card Ladder, reaffirming their influence both on and off the field.
Hyeseong Kim isn’t just excelling as a fixture at second base or an aspiring legend patrolling center field; he’s leaving an indelible imprint on the collector’s marketplace. Those unassuming glances he throws across the diamond seem to camouflage the escalating intrigue he’s generating in card collecting circles. As he vines his way up through the ranks of baseball, his trajectory in the hobby scene salutes each stride he takes towards being a pivotal player.
For collectors, investors, and fans, Kim represents not only MLB’s next exciting talent but a chance—a card—to play in the big league of collecting. So, as eyes remain fixated on every stat he racks up this season, the backdrop hums with the flurry of auctions, bids, and sales. The old refrain that rookies indeed hold the promise of tomorrow rings truer than ever and nowhere is that more evident than in the legacy Kim is beginning to etch, one thrilling game—and card sale—at a time.
