Nick Kurtz wraps up an inning for the Mesa Solar Sox during their matchup with the Peoria Javelinas on Nov. 15, 2024. (Photo by Samuel Nute/Cronkite News)
Nick Kurtz prepares to field a ground ball in the Arizona Fall League game between the Mesa Solar Sox and the Peoria Javelinas on Nov. 15, 2024. (Photo by Samuel Nute/Cronkite News)
Nick Kurtz gears up for an at-bat as the Mesa Solar Sox take on the Peoria Javelinas on Nov. 15, 2024. (Photo by Samuel Nute/Cronkite News)
Nick Kurtz heads back to the dugout after scoring for the Mesa Solar Sox against the Peoria Javelinas on Nov. 15, 2024, in Mesa, Arizona. (Photo by Samuel Nute/Cronkite News)
MESA – When a newly drafted baseball player experiences their first professional baseball games, their skills usually don’t translate into immediate success. New faces often need time to adjust before they eventually hit their stride, according to the Athletics’ Javier Godard, manager of the single-A Stockton Ports and the hitting coach for the Arizona Fall League’s Mesa Solar Sox.
That’s the case for most players, at least. First baseman Nick Kurtz, selected by the Athletics with the fourth overall pick in the 2024 MLB Entry Draft, is an exception, as proven by his performance with the Solar Sox this past season in the Arizona Fall League.
Across two levels of minor league baseball — Single-A and Double-A — Kurtz only played a combined 12 games due to a hamstring injury suffered in late August. But those 12 games were enough as it instantly became clear no grace period was needed.
“It’s unusual for sure,” Godard said. “Normally, you want to give the guy a little bit of room (that) he can work with, but when (Kurtz) got to Stockton, the very first impression was great.”
Oakland Athletics prospect Nick Kurtz warms up before the Mesa Solar Sox face the Peoria Javelinas on Nov. 15, 2024, in Mesa, Arizona. (Photo by Samuel Nute/Cronkite News)
It wasn’t merely a positive impression; it was one Kurtz likely couldn’t top if he tried.
When the Athletics drafted him in July, he was coming off an impressive three-year run at Wake Forest, where he was a career .333 hitter, mashed 61 home runs, helped the Demon Deacons to three NCAA tournaments and even led them to a College World Series appearance in 2023.
Kurtz also won several individual awards, including multiple All-American honors and two First-Team All-ACC awards, and was likely expected to dominate in the minors eventually. But few could predict how quickly he’d find his footing; not even Godard.
Yet on Aug. 10, the manager watched from the dugout as Kurtz went 2-for-3 with a 113-mph solo shot, two walks and two RBI in his debut. That performance was only a preview of what was to come. Through seven games with the Ports, he hit four total home runs to go with a .400 average, 12 RBI and 12:10 walk-to-strikeout ratio, garnering a call-up to the Double-A Midland RockHounds less than 10 days after playing his first professional game.
“It was awesome,” Kurtz said of his first professional home run. “It was kind of something you always dream about. Good thing it came early so I didn’t have to wait too long and think about it too long. I think I’ve worked on that swing a million times in the batting cages.”
However, things took a turn for the worse almost as quickly as they became positive for Kurtz.
After going 3-for-14 in his first four games in Double-A, he began a game against the Wichita Wind Surge by picking up a single in his first at-bat. All it took was one defensive play in the third inning, and Kurtz went down with a hamstring injury. Just as he hit the ground running in professional baseball, he was abruptly forced to miss the remainder of the professional season.
Standing on second base, Athletics prospect Nick Kurtz readies himself in the Mesa Solar Sox vs. Peoria Javelinas game on Nov. 15, 2024. (Photo by Samuel Nute/Cronkite News)
That’s where the Arizona Fall League came in.
On Oct. 25, Kurtz played in his first game for the Solar Sox and had a chance to prove himself once again. He wasted little time, hitting .533 with three extra-base hits — a double, triple and home run — and a 1.583 OPS in his first week on the circuit, earning him AFL Hitter of the Week honors.
Many offensive attributes make Kurtz an impressive player. He always seems to make contact and can hit for significant power numbers. But the one trait that is most notable to Godard is Kurtz’s ability to recognize pitches, which certainly contributed to him holding Wake Forest’s record for both career and single-season walks drawn.
“His pitch selection is really good,” Godard said. “That’s going to help him get to the big leagues for sure. Not only the power — yeah, the power is there — but he’s a great hitter. He knows how to hit the ball the other way, he knows how to pull it, when he needs to pull it.”
Through his entire 11-game AFL stint, Kurtz posted a .353 average with two home runs, 11 RBI and nine walks to 16 strikeouts. It was a small sample size but pointed to Kurtz picking up right where he left off pre-injury. Godard believes that if Kurtz keeps this pace next season, he’s on track to earn a call-up to Major League Baseball.
But for now, Kurtz is focused on taking it one game at a time and building on his recent success.
“It’s an awesome feeling knowing that you take a little time off, it doesn’t take you too long to get right back into the swing of it,” Kurtz said.
