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Did Nick Kurtz Have The Best Night Ever In MLB History?
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Did Nick Kurtz Have The Best Night Ever In MLB History?

Originally posted on Dice City Sports  |  By Robert LaMar  |  Last updated Jul 26, 2025 5:00 PM ET

Nick Kurtz didn’t just have a great game, he arguably had the greatest game in MLB history. The 22 year old Athletics rookie exploded for four home runs in Friday night’s 15–3 demolition of the Houston Astros, becoming the first rookie ever to join the exclusive four homer club. But that was just the beginning of a night that etched his name across multiple record books. But was this best hitting performance ever by a player in MLB history? Here’s a look at what the A’s rookie was able to accomplish last night.

  • Youngest ever to hit four home runs in a single game.

  • Only the second player in MLB history with six hits and four home runs in a single game (joining Shawn Green, 2002).

  • Became just the sixth player ever to have four home runs and at least eight RBI in one game.

  • First player in MLB history to log at least six hits, four homers, and eight RBI in the same game a feat never seen before.

  • Tied the Athletics franchise record for hits in a game (6), becoming just the eighth A’s player to do so  and the youngest, surpassing Hall of Famer Jimmie Foxx (1930).

  • Became the youngest A’s player ever with eight RBI in a game only the ninth time in franchise history it’s happened. (The record remains 10 RBI by Reggie Jackson in 1969.)

  • Scored six runs a feat accomplished only nine times in MLB history. No other A’s player, not even Rickey Henderson, has ever done it.

Sleeping giant unlocked?

This may very well go down as Nick Kurtz’s career game and he accomplished it as a rookie. But make no mistake: this didn’t come out of nowhere. While performances like this are exceedingly rare for any player, Kurtz has been trending upward for weeks, steadily transforming from a promising bat into one of the most dangerous hitters in the game.

The fourth overall pick in the 2022 MLB Draft out of Wake Forest, Kurtz entered the 2025 season as a top-40 prospect in baseball. When the Athletics called him up on April 23, there was understandable excitement from a fanbase hungry for the next franchise cornerstone. As is often the case with rookie power hitters, though, the adjustment period was real.

He didn’t hit his first home run until his 17th game, and didn’t notch a second until Game 24. But since then? It’s been a full-blown eruption. Starting with Game 24 on May 20, Kurtz has been one of the most productive hitters in all of baseball. In 43 games, he’s hitting:

  • .352 batting average

  • .870 slugging percentage

  • 22 home runs

  • 16 doubles, 1 triple

  • 53 RBI, 39 runs scored

Compare that to his .208/.259/.299 slash line in his first 23 games, and it’s crystal clear that something clicked. This isn’t a hot week or a flash in the pan. This is the emergence of a star.

Future stars rising

The A’s have a very strong young nucleus of star players that’s going to carry them until the back end of this decade in Jacob Wilson, Nick Kurtz, Lawrence Butler, Denzel Clarke. If this group continues to grow together, and if the front office supplements them with pitching and depth, the A’s could go from rebuild to contender sooner than most expect. The future will be very bright under the Las Vegas lights.

This article first appeared on Dice City Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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