Exclusive | Dodgers star Kiké Hernández reveals the one Pokémon card he’ll chase ‘forever’
Context:
A Dodgers star finds meaning off the field through Pokémon card collecting, begun during long, lonely rehab stints away from baseball. He and his young daughter Penélope turned hobby time into family time, building a personal brand as PokéKikémon and launching merchandise with a sizable online following. His prized pulls include a Japanese Sabrina’s Gengar 1st edition graded PSA 10, while a coveted Corocoro Mew remains elusive and increasingly expensive. The pursuit intertwines with personal resilience, a second career edge, and a shared passion that could outlive his playing days by keeping the father–daughter connection active. The story traces the arc from isolation to community, value appreciation, and future chasing.
Dive Deeper:
A period of frequent injuries left Hernández with lengthy, isolating rehab stints, prompting him to rediscover Pokémon cards as a nostalgic escape from the IL's monotony.
The hobby evolved from a personal pastime into family ritual when his 5-year-old daughter Penélope joined, with both of them opening packs of Pokémon, Disney, My Little Pony, and Netflix shows together.
Hernández established a social media persona, PokéKikémon, to share his collection and experiences, growing an Instagram following of more than 112,000 and creating merchandise tied to the brand.
Among his notable pulls, he cites a Japanese Sabrina’s Gengar 1st edition graded PSA 10 as his best to date, a value exceeding $10,000 on some marketplaces.
His ‘holy grail’ is a 2001 Japanese Corocoro promotional Mew card, whose soaring value has moved from thousands to an asking range of $75,000–$500,000, making it a chase he may pursue indefinitely.
The activity has become a meaningful, ongoing source of family time and a potential side venture for a three-time World Series champion, illustrating how personal passions can complement athletic careers.
The narrative frames collecting as both a personal refuge and a bridge to his daughter, offering a future-oriented hobby that endures beyond the immediate baseball horizon.