In the sprawling constellation that is Los Angeles Dodgers baseball, yet another star has flared brightly with the arrival of Hyeseong Kim. Not content to simply enjoy his time on the mound; Kim, a 26-year-old rookie phenomenon, has turned his debut season into a spectacle, capturing both hearts and wallets since first stepping onto the field on May 3. His electrifying play and jaw-dropping statistics have panicked pitchers and propelled eBay listings into the stratosphere, proving that this rookie is truly one to watch.
With a batting average of .386 and an OPS that nuzzles comfortably near .985 over the course of just 31 games, Kim has rapidly ingratiated himself to Dodger fans everywhere. His dynamic dual-threat abilities on the field are equaled only by the buzz surrounding his rookie cards, making them one of the hottest commodities in sports memorabilia circles right now.
The movement swirling around Kim’s 2025 Topps Series 2 rookie cards could probably rival that of a high-speed ball spinning off his bat. Ranging from base cards to vibrant foils, coveted autographs to nostalgic throwback inserts, Kim dominates this new set’s landscape. Collectors are paying attention—and they’re paying rather handsomely, too.
The shimmering crown jewels of the collection are Kim’s redemption autos; they’ve become veritable treasure hunts, with prices scaling heights that would unsettle Indiana Jones. Some of his signed redemptions have ascended past the four-figure peak, with sales figures fluctuating between $1,200 and a lofty $1,704. For anyone banking on a sleeper pick, those days are long gone.
Even the rarer one-of-ones and low-numbered parallels refuse to be overshadowed, drawing eyes and opening wallets. A Gold Foil 1/1 sold for a resplendent $650, while a Black Diamante /10 netted a cool $600, and a Fireworks Foil /10 flickered out at $350. If that’s not enough to quicken the pulse, there’s also a sultry Red Fireworks Foil /5 enchanting bidders.
However, it is Kim’s 1990 Topps Baseball Mojo Foil RC, complete with its vintage design and bold Dodger Blue borders, that captures both nostalgia and intrigue. Raw, these beauties fetch around $10, while their autographed kin are sprinting towards the $400 goalpost.
In the avant-garde realm of hobby curiosities stands Kim’s Golden Mirror Variation, featuring an unexpected snapshot of Kim mid-press conference. Unorthodox? Absolutely. But like many avant-garde pieces, it’s captivating and commanding asking prices that range from $150 to $425.
Another crowd-pleaser, the orange foil auto from Kim’s Flagship Real One card, numbering merely to 25, turned heads when one redemption auction closed at $1,704. Meanwhile, another lingers enticingly on eBay at the $1,500 mark.
Impressively, Kim accounts for three of the top 20 sales over the $1,000 threshold from the entire 2025 Topps Series 2 ensemble. When you’re elbowing for attention alongside titans like Shohei Ohtani and Roki Sasaki, that’s no small feat. The Dodgers have outright pillaged the top-tier sales domain of this product, snapping up 16 of the top 20 sales that Card Ladder tracks. Simply put, that’s dominance.
As Kim continues to oscillate between guarding the second base and bounding across the center field, his significance in Major League Baseball grows apace. Whether he’s nimbly fielding balls or nearing card collection summits, he’s a rookie who demands attention.
Collectors must agree, judging by those escalating prices, because they’re diving wallet-first into the Kim phenomenon. As this tale unfolds on the field and auction blocks alike, who knows what heights his star might reach. The Dodgers surely know how to pick ’em, and Kim seems poised to level up every step of the way, much to the delight of both baseball aficionados and card collectors.
