Our next player for this year’s “Season in Review” series is this year’s breakout star of the roster Nick Kurtz. There has been no shortage of coverage for “Big Amish,” and that is not likely to slow down anytime soon. But here’s wrap-up of his award-winning season and a look forward to what 2026 may look like.
How was he acquired?
Nick Kurtz was the fourth overall selection in the first round of the 2024 MLB Amateur Draft. He attended Wake Forest University for three years (leaving after his Junior season). While draft picks tend to be far from sure bets, the A’s knew what they were getting with Kurtz and it didn’t take long for him to prove them right.
What were the expectations?
Kurtz signed with the A’s on July 22, 2024, and was assigned to the California League’s Stockton Ports, then the Midland Rockhounds for the remainder of the season. He played in just twelve minor league games in his first season out of college. It was enough for him to earn an invitation to the big-league spring training. At the end of spring training, he was sent down to AAA Las Vegas where he lasted just twenty games before being called up to the bigs on April 23, 2025. Some question whether he even needed the extra time down in Vegas, but it was likely a service time decision. When he was called up, he was ready.
2025 Results
About a month after his call-up, he spent ten days on the Injured List (IL) with a hip flexor injury but returned as strong as ever. That truly started his emergence as the most feared rookie in the big leagues. He was named MLB player of the week twice, AL Rookie of the Month in June and July and American League Player of the Month in July. But that was just a precursor to the hardware he’d be winning at the end of the season. On July 25, Kurtz etched his name in the record books by going a perfect 6-for-6 with four home runs against the Astros in Houston. He became the first A’s player in franchise history with a four-homer game, the first rookie in MLB history with a four-homer game, and the 20th player overall to match this feat.
Kurtz final stat line for the season is beyond impressive. In just 117 games he hit thirty-six home runs, drove in eighty-six runs while batting 290 with a 1.002 OPS. He was the unanimous American League Rookie of the year as well as the recipient of the AL First Base Silver Slugger Award. He also logged a .988 fielding percentage, improving on his minors career best, as icing on the cake.
2026 Outlook
I’d say the outlook for Nick Kurtz’ sophomore season is bright. If he stays healthy, a 40-homer, 100 RBI season seems likely. As he matures and cuts down on his strikeouts (151 in his rookie season), a .300 batting average is easily attainable. I expect to see him in his first All-Star game in 2026 and collecting some more hardware at the end of the season.
