Nick Kurtz Joins Elite Rookie Company in Dominant Campaign

The secret is out: Nick Kurtz is pretty good at baseball, folks. The 2025 season ended with the A's rookie hitting yet another opposite field homer, giving him 36 dingers on the year. While that's impressive on its own, that homer also put him in some elite company across baseball history.

Entering the game with an OPS of exactly 1.000, he began the game 0-for-3 against the Royals, but that homer in the eighth put him at 1.002 to finish up the year. There are just seven rookies in MLB history with at least a 1.000 OPS in 450 or more plate appearances, and now Kurtz is one of those names.

The others are Ryan Braun (1.004 in 2007), Bernie Carbo (1.004 in 1970), Albert Pujols (1.013 in 2001), Ted Williams (1.045 in 1939), Aaron Judge (1.049 in 2017) and Joe Jackson (1.058 in 1911). That's the entire list. No Mike Trout. No Miguel Cabrera. Just Kurtz and the other six.

Kurtz is also one of only three players to hold an OPS above 1.000 this season, joining Judge (1.145) and Shohei Ohtani (1.014) among that same group of players with at least 450 plate appearances. Cal Raleigh has been terrific with the power stroke, hitting 60 bombs, but his OPS finished at "just" .948.

Kurtz has now made a habit of joining exclusive groups of players in baseball history, with his four-home run game in Houston being the one that made everyone stop and register the accomplishment. He's now the first rookie to hit four homers in game.

When asked about Kurtz having a shot at holding a 1.000 OPS after the season was through ahead of Saturday's game, manager Mark Kotsay said, "if you're in that company, you're pretty, pretty special. I mean, for Nick, there's nothing I think he can't do. If he put a cape on, I bet you he could fly."

Perhaps that's in store for next season.

Following the A's final game of the year, DH Brent Rooker was asked about Kurtz's season and just getting a chance to watch him crush the ball in green and gold.

"It's kind of what I imagine it looked like when you're watching generational type hitters begin their career. Just the advanced approach, the advanced field and hit, and just the sheer raw brute force that he has in terms of strength and bat speed.

"It's a lot of fun to watch him, and I'm looking forward to hitting either in front of or behind him for the next several seasons."

While the A's fell short of their goal of making the postseason in 2025, finishing with a 76-86 record, there is a lot to be excited about with this club moving forward. They went 13-11 in September against tough opponents that were fighting to make the postseason, and they held their own against them.

Nick Kurtz is a big reason why there is excitement surrounding the green and gold heading into 2026—so much so that it might be a disappointment if they aren't playing games in West Sacramento next October.