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A week ago the Oakland A's had the fourth overall pick in the 2024 MLB Draft, and used it to select Wake Forest first baseman Nick Kurtz. While this was the highest pick the A's have had since 1998 when they selected Mark Mulder second overall, there's another guy in the A's clubhouse that has some experience being such a high pick.
Back in 2019, the Miami Marlins had the fourth overall selection, and used it to pick JJ Bleday, who has since been traded to Oakland. Given where he was drafted, and the pick that the A's just made, we asked him if he has any advice for Kurtz as he enters professional baseball.
"Enjoy it, especially this year. You're not going to play a full season, but trust yourself. Respectfully, kind of know what you want to do. If something isn't working out that coach is telling you, just trust what you do, and take that experience playing every day and adjusting to pro ball in that first year. I think, just believing in yourself."
Bleday is in the middle of a breakout season according to his teammates. The A's centerfielder is batting .233 with a .314 OBP and a career-high 12 home runs through 99 games. His .746 OPS is well above league average (.709), and he is turning into a big-league regular for the rebuilding A's.
We also talked about how he approached his first off-season as a professional.
"I'd say I think it was to get a little better body [composition] that off-season from '19 to 2020, and kind of tone down some mechanics. Maybe get in my legs a little bit more. I had such a small sample size and I really didn't know what to do. It was more in the weight room type of stuff."
Kurtz and Bleday were someone similar hitters in college, too. Bleday didn't walk quite as much as Kurtz, racking up 61 free passes in 71 games compared to Kurtz's 78 in 54, but they both walked more than they struck out in their final college seasons. Bleday had the slight edge in homers with 27 in 2019 with Vanderbilt, with Kurtz collecting 22 in fewer games, but the first baseman also had more consistent power showings leading up to his draft year.
With Kurtz potentially on a somewhat speedy timeline to reach the big leagues coming out of college with an advanced approach at the plate, the A's could have three top-6 picks on their roster in the next couple of years, with Kurtz, Bleday, and Jacob Wilson.
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