In a ballpark where legends are made, Hyeseong Kim has inked his name onto a memorable chapter—and not just on scoreboards. The 21-year-old Los Angeles Dodgers rookie has blasted his way into the limelight and cracked the exclusive realm of collectible cards with the thunderous sound of his first major league home run. Against the backdrop of the Dodgers’ decisive 9-3 win over the Oakland A’s, Kim’s memorable bomb in the third inning was a clean solo shot soaring a picturesque 385 feet. It was more than just a home run; it was a metal bat chime heralding the arrival of a new baseball sensation.
In an exhilarating twist that has collectors abuzz, Topps, the granddaddy of baseball cards, has announced the release of a special edition card under its Topps Now line to immortalize Kim’s breakout homer. But this isn’t your run-of-the-stadium card. Oh no, it carries something so rare it could make a trading card aficionado’s heart skip: Kim’s first-ever autograph card. And even rarer within this release is a monumental piece—a 1-of-1 autograph card, inscribed with “First Home Run,” adding a meaningful touch and a sprinkle of tantalizing scarcity.
Kim has quickly turned heads in his first 11 games for the Dodgers, wielding a formidable .360 batting average with an OPS that proudly sits at .840. It’s an entrance that’s not just promising but positively electrifying. In a lineup already packed with veteran stars, Kim is carving out a niche, his rookie jersey number fast becoming a favorite among jersey-clad fans.
Topps Now is renowned for capturing the very heartbeats of significant baseball moments in real time. But this time, they’ve upped the ante with a memorably personal approach. Beyond the innovative inclusion of Kim’s autograph, this commemorative release expands in collector’s dreams with a suite of enticing options:
Highlighting the amusement park of possibilities, there’s a variety of parallel versions of the base card that aficionados can chase. Picture this:
– Gold Foil limited to 50 copies, shimmering brighter than any Gold Glove.
– An Orange Foil iteration limited to 25, as spicy as a ballpark frank.
– Black Foil at 10, as dark and intense as the anticipation before the bottom of the ninth.
– Even scarcer, the Red Foil, only 5 in existence, as exciting as a bases-loaded moment.
– And the pièce de résistance, a singular 1/1 FoilFractor, the holy grail among grails.
Adding flavor to the feast, Topps has sprinkled a few delightful twists into the mixture by introducing three different versions of Kim’s card. They include the standard base version, a creatively crafted short-printed image variation, and a cultural homage with a Korean-language super short print, giving more than a nod to Kim’s heritage.
For would-be owners of this potential treasure, Topps fans can opt for various purchasing options with a dash of baseball strategy:
– Snag 1 card for $11.99
– Go in for the double play — 5 cards for $49.99
– Swing for a dozen — 10 cards for $89.99
– Or light up the ballpark with 20 cards for $169.99
The clock is ticking faster than a fastball, though, as orders are only open for 24 hours on the Topps website. Each card is printed to order, making the resultant final print run as limited as a Dodger Stadium parking spot during playoff season, with exclusivity baked right into its DNA.
Whether you’re a diehard Dodgers fan, a rookie collector with aspirations, or merely someone who has watched Kim’s ascent with eager eyes and is eager to bottle this early moment of promise, Topps Now’s latest drop is far more than a beautiful remembrance. It’s an owning part of a narrative that seems set for future greatness. From chasing autographs to capturing the foil-flavored glint of a rare parallel, commemorating Kim’s debut homer is another chapter in the folklore that is Major League Baseball—a tale that just might age like the finest Dodger Blue vintage.
