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What to Expect from Athletics First Baseman Nick Kurtz

Originally posted on New Baseball Media
By Chris Studley | Last updated Apr 21, 2025 8:16 PM ET

The Athletics may have found their franchise cornerstone last July when the team selected Nick Kurtz in the first round. It didn’t take Kurtz a year to make it to Sacramento, as the Athletics will reportedly promote the 22-year-old after 32 Minor League games.

A Look at Kurtz

Three years ago, Nick Kurtz went from known but not unspectacular high school prospect to collegiate sensation. Kurtz, ranked 403rd overall by Perfect Game in the 2021 Class, hit .338 with 15 home runs as a freshman for Wake Forest.

Kurtz continued to rampage the ACC in 2023, as he posted a 1.311 OPS and hit a career-best 24 home runs for the Demon Deacons. He helped lead Wake Forest to the 2023 College World Series and nearly upset LSU to get to the final.

Last year, Kurtz got off to a sluggish start in his junior season. However, the 22-year-old got it going later on, as he hit 14 of his 22 home runs once conference play started. He ended the 2024 campaign with a 1.294 OPS, buoyed by 78 walks over 54 games.

The Athletics selected Kurtz fourth overall in the 2024 MLB Draft.

Since going pro, Kurtz has continued to run wild. Kurtz hit four home runs and seven extra-base hits late last season, then batted .321 with seven home runs and 14 extra-base hits in the hitter-friendly confines of the Pacific Coast League.

As of April 21, he had the circuit’s second-best slugging percentage (.655), behind only Luis Campusano (.726). And among all Triple-A players, he was tied with Matt Gorski and Otto Kemp for the second-most barrels (12).

Kurtz is a physical specimen af 6’5” and 240 pounds. The 22-year-old has easy natural plus power, which he showed with great effect at the Minor League level. He’s got the balance and leverage — all in a swing with reasonable length and quietness — to drive balls with efficiency, and was able to do so at the Minor League level.

Additionally, Kurtz is a thoroughly disciplined hitter. Walk numbers at the collegiate level could be misleading, simply because of the quality of play at the Division I level. But in 2025, Kurtz chased just 23.3% of the time at Triple-A.

Arguably the second-best power hitter in last year’s MLB Draft behind Charlie Condon, Kurtz profiles to be an everyday, middle-of-the-lineup bat who could slot anywhere in the 2-4 parts of the lineup.

Per reports, Nick Kurtz will join the Athletics for their upcoming homestand, which begins on April 22.

Analysis

The A’s have been preparing for this. Brent Rooker, who DH’d last year thanks to elbow issues, has played three games in the outfield this season and will likely have to shift out to left full-time to make room for Kurtz.

Kurtz’s impending promotion gives the A’s two options at first, between the 2024 first-round pick and Tyler Soderstrom, who should be the team’s primary DH moving forward. Soderstrom currently has an AL-high nine home runs on the season but a -3 Outs Above Average in the field.

For reference, Soderstrom is a converted first baseman, having played catcher in the Minors.

The future is now for the A’s, the team that currently sits with the second-most runs scored in the AL West, behind only the Mariners, who’ve been chiefly led by catcher Cal Raleigh. The Athletics can hit, and with Kurtz likely slotting into the middle of the lineup, their lineup should only get better.

Fantasy Impact

As I noted earlier in April, Kurtz is a legitimate fantasy option to say the least.

The 22-year-old should do very well in Sacramento, particularly when the weather warms up. Kurtz has 30+ home run potential and is one of the few prospects this year who can be impact fantasy players. Plus, he should also benefit the players who soon will hit around him in Sacramento.

He needs to be owned in all mixed leagues.

This article first appeared on New Baseball Media and was syndicated with permission.

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