Athletics Call Up First Baseman Nick Kurtz from Triple-A
Help is on the way for the Athletics. In the midst of a 10-12 start, the A’s opted to bring up some reinforcements, announcing on Monday that they called up first baseman Nick Kurtz from Triple-A. Kurtz, the fourth overall pick in the 2024 MLB Draft, tore it up in the farm system, and after a start in Triple-A this season, he hit .321 with seven home runs and 24 RBIs.
Despite being called up on Monday, the player is not expected to be activated until at least Wednesday, giving the rookie time to acclimate to the major leagues before facing live action. With starting first baseman Tyler Soderstrom off to a hot start, there is no rush for Kurtz to be inserted into the lineup.
Kurtz’s Career Up to This Point
A star at Baylor School in Chattanooga, Tennessee, Kurtz committed to play college baseball at Wake Forest instead of entering the MLB Draft right out of high school. And during his college career, Kurtz burst onto the scene immediately. As a freshman, he hit .338 with 15 home runs and 56 RBIs through 204 at-bats in 54 games, earning freshman All-American honors.
After hitting .353 with 24 home runs and 69 RBIs as a sophomore, Kurtz entered his junior season as one of the more highly touted prospects in the 2024 draft class. In his final season with Wake Forest, Kurtz hit .306 with 22 home runs and 57 RBIs and guided the Demon Deacons to their third straight NCAA tournament appearance. After the A’s drafted him, Kurtz received a $7 million signing bonus and reported to Single-A Stockton.
But after hitting .400 in 25 at-bats through seven games, he was quickly promoted to Double-A, where he spent the rest of the season. Kurtz’s quick advancement through the minor leagues could be attributed to many things, but the most notable reason could be his more complex and advanced approach at the plate, something he picked up more on in college.
What Kurtz will bring
Power, power, and more power. Kurtz is a pure hitter, hitting both for power and average, and can potentially be a key multi-tool player for the A’s. But the real difficulty could be figuring out which position he will play. With Soderstrom enjoying a breakout season, hitting .298 while being tied for the MLB lead with nine home runs, playing first base full-time looks to be out of the equation– at least for now.
For now, Kurtz is more likely to be a platoon player, bouncing between first base to give Soderstrom a day off, the designated hitter spot, or maybe even the outfield. But with all his skills and potential to be a dominant hitter in this league, the A’s will make sure to find a spot for him.
Final thoughts
The A’s may not have a winning record, but they are hovering right around .500 and are definitely still in a spot where they have a lot to play for this season. So, calling up Kurtz isn’t a matter of necessity or even to see what they have for the future– it is about calling up a guy who has shown that he can be a big piece to this team right now. He has lived up to the hype as a prospect, but now the real test to see if he can continue that as a big leaguer is here.
