Amid the bright lights of Los Angeles and a bustling bandwagon of thrifty collectors, a star is on the rise. Hyeseong Kim, a name you’ve probably heard whispered by smitten Dodgers fans and envious opponents, is making waves in more arenas than one. At just 26 years old, this rookie phenom has been causing ripples in both Major League Baseball and the trading card market ever since he stepped onto the field on May 3.
With a jaw-dropping .386 batting average and an OPS nudging the .985 mark across 31 games, Kim is rightfully claiming his spotlight. But it’s not just Dodgers acolytes who are taking note; the trading card circles are all abuzz with his debut magic. The evidence lies in the 2025 Topps Series 2 editions, where Kim’s rookie cards have quickly become hidden treasures turning into gold.
Redemption autos lead this gold rush, skyrocketing past the four-digit selling point. Those few lucky enough to snag Kim’s signed redemptions are seeing auction wins fluctuate between $1,200 to $1,704. ‘Sleeper picks’ would be a misleading term here; these cards are main events in their own right.
Even in the fine arts of card collecting, scarcity breeds desire. Kim’s one-of-one and low-numbered parallels are quietly marking their territories on collectors’ must-have lists. A Gold Foil 1/1 dazzled the market at $650, meanwhile, a Black Diamante numbered to ten raffinated its elegance for $600. The Fireworks Foil also sparked admiration, clinching a $350 stake. As for the Red Fireworks Foil numbered to five, it lingers like forbidden fruit, drawing collectors like moths to a flame.
Kim’s 1990 Topps Baseball Mojo Foil RC, adorned in retro glamour and classic Dodgers Blue, has emerged as the trendy choice. These bits of nostalgia retail for about $10 raw, while their autographed counterparts are rewriting the playbook, nudging the $400 benchmark.
Among the many curiosities that the hobby enjoys, Kim’s Golden Mirror Variation of the rookie mid-press conference, has paraded into the hearts of collectors. Part poetic, part peculiar, this sought-after card hints at Kim’s time on the diamond beyond just batting averages. Its unconventional appeal hasn’t gone unnoticed, fetching between $150 to $425 in various listings.
And how could we ignore the anime allure of the orange foil auto from Kim’s Flagship Real One card, limited to only 25 copies out there? One such piece recently etched a sale at $1,704, and another sits in tickling anticipation with a $1,500 price tag currently looming on eBay.
The collective sigh of appreciation at these card conventions can be attributed not just to Kim’s performance, but to the Dodgers’ continued supremacy over high-end cardboard commerce. This phenom has claimed three spots among the top 20 sales over $1,000 from the entire 2025 Topps Series 2 collection, hobnobbing with giants like Shohei Ohtani and Roki Sasaki. This accomplishment stands shoulder-to-shoulder with the Dodgers’ haul of 16 top 20 sales tracked by Card Ladder. All under the canopy of Dodger Stadium—a sanctuary for legacies, old and new.
As Hyeseong Kim continues carving his niche in the prestigious veins of the Dodgers, alternating between second base and center field, so does he in the hearts of collectors everywhere. Each play in the park may strike a chord as sweet as the shuffle of card packs being cracked open, with fans and collectors poised, waiting for their next buried treasure.
This journey through bases and binders isn’t just about numbers, but a story unfolding—a drama that may very well cross legends. So while Kim dazzles with his glove work and batting prowess, those numbers on the fields and foil cards will only grow more impressive, living up to the whispers of hopes and dreams, for those who dare to collect and celebrate the young Korean sensation.