Nick Kurtz

Nick Kurtz
Athletics – No. 16
First baseman
Born: (2003-03-12) March 12, 2003
Lancaster, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Bats: Left
Throws: Left
MLB debut
April 23, 2025, for the Athletics
MLB statistics
(through August 21, 2025)
Batting average.315
Home runs26
Runs batted in68
Stats at Baseball Reference 
Teams
Career highlights and awards

Nicholas Jeffrey Kurtz (born March 12, 2003) is an American professional baseball first baseman for the Athletics of Major League Baseball (MLB). He played college baseball for the Wake Forest Demon Deacons and was selected by the Athletics in the first round of the 2024 MLB draft. He made his MLB debut in 2025.

Amateur career

Kurtz played for the USA 12U National Team and won a gold medal at the 2015 World Cup.[1] He spent his freshman year at Manheim Township High School, before transferring to the Baylor School in Chattanooga, Tennessee.[2][3] Alongside baseball, he competed in basketball. He lettered all four years in baseball and three years in basketball.[4] He committed to Wake Forest University to play college baseball during his sophomore year at Baylor.[5]

As a freshman at Wake Forest in 2022, Kurtz was named a freshman All-American after hitting .338/.471/.637 with 15 home runs and 56 runs batted in (RBI) over 204 at-bats in 54 games. As a sophomore in 2023, he hit .353/.527/.784 with 24 home runs and 69 RBI over 190 at-bats in 56 games [6][7] and was named a first team All-American by the American Baseball Coaches Association.[4] As a junior in 2024, Kurtz was named team captain [4] and slashed .306/.531/.763 with 22 home runs and 57 RBI. [8] Kurtz left Wake Forest as the program's all-time leader in walks (189). [4]

Professional career

Kurtz was a top prospect entering the 2024 Major League Baseball draft;[9][10] the Oakland Athletics selected him in the first round, with the fourth overall selection.[11] On July 22, 2024, Kurtz signed with Oakland on a contract worth $7 million.[12][13] He split his first professional season between the Single-A Stockton Ports and Double-A Midland RockHounds. Kurtz was assigned to the Triple-A Las Vegas Aviators to begin the 2025 season.

On April 21, 2025, Kurtz was promoted to the major leagues for the first time, after just 32 total games in the minor leagues.[14] He made his MLB debut two days later against the Texas Rangers, where he went 1-for-4 with an RBI single.[15] On May 13, Kurtz hit his first career home run off of J. P. Feyereisen of the Los Angeles Dodgers.[16] On June 16, Kurtz hit a two-run walk-off home run off Bryan Abreu of the Houston Astros to give the A's a 3–1 victory. It was the first walk-off home run of Kurtz’s Major League career, at a Statcast-projected 447-foot, making it the longest walk-off homer by an A’s player since Statcast began tracking in 2015.[17]

On July 25, 2025, Kurtz became the first rookie in MLB history and the first Athletics player to hit four home runs in a game, overall getting six hits in six ABs for the game. The other two hits were a double and a single, thus tying Shawn Green's 23-year-old MLB record for total bases in a game with 19. The home runs came off of four different Houston Astros pitchers, including position player Cooper Hummel, in a 15–3 Athletics victory. [18][19] Kurtz was named the American League Player of the Month for July after hitting .395/.480/.953 for the month, with 24 runs, 11 home runs, and 27 RBIs. He was the first Athletic to win Player of the Month since Josh Donaldson in September 2013.[20]

Personal life

Kurtz was born on March 12, 2003, to Marie and Jeff Kurtz. He has two brothers and one sister; his older brother Logan played collegiate baseball at Penn State Berks from 2012 to 2013.[4] His father works in real estate.[21] Kurtz's parents enrolled him in tee-ball when he was four years old.[22][23]

While on the Athletics, his teammates gave Kurtz the nickname "Big Amish", a jocular reference to his stature at 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m), 240 lb (110 kg) and his hometown of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, which has a large Amish community. After a home run, Kurtz began celebrating by twirling his hands in a circular motion, in homage to the Amish tradition of churning butter.[24] Kurtz himself is not Amish.

See also

References

  1. ^ "Nick Kurtz pitches USA 12U National Team to World Cup championship". LNP. August 4, 2015.
  2. ^ mconnolly@pennlive.com, Matt Connolly | (July 26, 2025). "Pa. native, Athletics rookie has arguably 'best game' in MLB history". pennlive. Retrieved July 27, 2025.
  3. ^ "Prep roundup: Nick Kurtz, Baylor enjoy special senior night in shutout of McCallie". Chattanooga Times Free Press. April 26, 2021.
  4. ^ a b c d e "Nick Kurtz - Baseball". Wake Forest University Athletics. Retrieved April 22, 2025.
  5. ^ "Baylor's baseball factory produced projected No. 1 pick Nick Kurtz". Baylor School. February 17, 2024. Retrieved July 27, 2025.
  6. ^ "Wake Forest duo from Baylor among former Chattanooga-area stars in College World Series". Chattanooga Time Free Press. June 15, 2023.
  7. ^ "Former Manheim Township Blue Streak Nick Kurtz, now at Wake Forest, is an elite MLB prospect". LNP. July 22, 2023.
  8. ^ "Nick Kurtz College, Minor & Fall Leagues Statistics". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved April 22, 2025.
  9. ^ Callis, Jim (October 26, 2023). "Top 20 college prospects for 2024 MLB Draft". MLB.com. Retrieved July 26, 2025.
  10. ^ "2024 MLB Mock Draft: "Way Too Early" Top 10 Picks". Baseball America. July 12, 2023.
  11. ^ Gallegos, Martín (July 14, 2024). "A's select Wake Forest slugger Nick Kurtz with No. 4 pick". MLB.com.
  12. ^ "A's Agree to Terms with First-Round Draft Pick Nick Kurtz". MLB.com. July 22, 2024. Retrieved July 25, 2025.
  13. ^ Gallegos, Martín (July 22, 2024). "First-rounder Kurtz signs, meets role model for quick ascent". MLB.com. Retrieved July 25, 2025.
  14. ^ Martín Gallegos (April 21, 2025). "Kurtz, 2024 No. 4 overall pick & A's top prospect, getting called up (source)". MLB.com. Retrieved April 21, 2025.
  15. ^ Franco, Anthony (April 24, 2024). "'You saw the joy, right?': Kurtz leaves a mark in MLB debut". MLB.com. Retrieved April 27, 2024.
  16. ^ Gurvis, Jacob (May 14, 2024). "Wilson at home in Dodger Stadium -- and proves it with multi-homer game". MLB.com. Retrieved May 14, 2024.
  17. ^ Gallegos, Martín (June 17, 2025). "Kurtz focuses only on walk-off homer -- then does it vs. Astros". MLB.com. Retrieved June 17, 2025.
  18. ^ "Athletics rookie Nick Kurtz crushes four home runs vs. Astros as part of historic day at the plate". CBSSports.com. July 26, 2025. Retrieved July 26, 2025.
  19. ^ "Athletics' Nick Kurtz goes wild: 4 HRs, 6 hits, 19 total bases". ESPN.com. July 25, 2025. Retrieved July 25, 2025.
  20. ^ "Marlins outfielder Kyle Stowers named National League Player of the Month for July". MLB.com. August 4, 2025. Retrieved August 4, 2025.
  21. ^ McBride, Jessica (July 26, 2025). "How Nick Kurtz Told Girlfriend Ally Eliea He Made the Majors". www.mensjournal.com. Retrieved July 27, 2025.
  22. ^ "Family beams with pride as A's top prospect makes debut". Lodi News-Sentinel
  23. ^ Rome, Chandler (July 27, 2025). "Nick Kurtz's parents overwhelmed after son's historic performance: 'Did that just happen?'". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved July 27, 2025.
  24. ^ Gallegos, Martín (July 25, 2025). "Nick Kurtz continues to star with extra-base achievement". MLB.com. Retrieved August 2, 2025.
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