Nick Kurtz Called up to Add More Thump to the Athletics Lineup
The Athletics are promoting Just Baseball's No. 48 prospect, Nick Kurtz. What can we expect from his first taste of The Show?
Late Monday afternoon Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reported that the Athletics have called up Just Baseball’s no. 48 prospect Nick Kurtz. The A’s first-round selection from last year’s draft, who just recently turned 22 years old, will join the A’s in Sacramento ahead of their series with the Texas Rangers.
After years of tearing down, the A’s roster is now littered with young, high-upside, talent as the team pushes toward a .500 record. Keep in mind, this is not the same as letting a few prospects play in September. What we are seeing is a team that is aggressive and willing to trust their young talent to develop and grown together with an outside chance of a wild card berth within the range of outcomes this season.
What Kurtz Brings
I’m sure if you went looking for Nick Kurtz highlights you would find a plethora of balls being launched into orbit. The power potential is real, and it is ridiculous. Kurtz launched four home runs in 12 games in the minors last season and has seven in 20 games this year.
The 6-foot-5 left-handed bat is a presence on the field. His large frame and upward bat path help Kurtz get to his power, especially on the pull side. Not only does his power produce home runs, but extra base hits galore. Kurtz has already hit 10 doubles in his short minor league career which tracks well to his production in college.
Although it is a small sample, Kurtz posted a 95.1 mph average exit velocity and 57.4% hard hit rate in Triple-A this season. Yes, those numbers will likely dip in the majors but I don’t expect them to fall by all that much. We are talking about an elite power hitting prospect and not just a player who has capitalized on a power friendly environment in Las Vegas.
This is not just a power bat, but a player with a plus hit tool and plate discipline. Kurtz has posted a 10.3% walk rate and although his 26.8% strikeout rate is high, he has shown a better hit tool across larger samples in college.
I’m sure there will be some growing pains along the way. Velocity is not an issue and he’ll likely look to hunt fastballs early but how he performs against breaking pitches will be the difference. Considering the talent difference and altitude change, Kurtz will see a different level of spin than he has so far.
We’ll see how the A’s use Kurtz against lefties, but I do not think he will be a straight platoon bat. In only 27 at-bats against southpaws he posted a .296/.323/.481 slash but did strike out 11 times. Most likely the A’s will ease him in with match ups against righties and pick their spots with certain lefties on the mound.
What it Means for the A’s
The Athletics lineup has goofy power. Donkey Kong muscles from from Brent Rooker, Shea Langeliers, Nick Kurtz, and Tyler Soderstrom. There’s a number of players who can leave the yard at anytime and change the trajectory of the game.
Kurtz adds a lefty bat to a lineup that currently has six righties as regulars and veteran lefty Seth Brown getting plenty of run. Considering Kurtz is a plus defender at first, I assume Tyler Soderstrom will shift to DH and Brent Rooker, who has started getting more looks in the outfield, will slide to left. This makes Miguel Andujar and his 115 wRC+ a nice luxury to have.
I’m sure the A’s will find at bats for Andujar against lefties and continue to work his bat into the lineup. Seth Brown hasn’t been the same player since 2022 and is probably due for a change of scenery. Replacing Brown with Kurtz immediately makes the A’s offense a much stronger threat and, in theory, improves the depth as well.
Rooker, with all due respect, is a tough watch in the outfield. There’s been some talk of Kurtz, or even Soderstrom, getting reps in the outfield in hopes of finding a passable corner outfielder without forcing Rooker into the field.
How pitchers and managers will attack the A’s is going to be intriguing. The A’s have plus hitters from the left side in Lawrence Butler, Soderstrom, JJ Bleday, and Kurtz. From the right side Rooker, Langeliers, and Jacob Wilson. If they find some combination of right-left-right- left, bullpen usage could get complicated.
The A’s have quickly developed a lineup with not only plus power, but a combination of righty and lefty bats that make them multiple and should give other teams headaches. If you dance around the power bats you have to deal with Wilson who is one of the best contact hitters in the game.
Final Thoughts
For as much flack as the A’s have received in recent years, and rightfully so, they also deserve credit for how this lineup has been built. Castoffs and reclamation projects like Rooker, Langeliers, Bleday, and Andujar have all produced and look like fixtures for the near, and long term future.
Drafting and developing Butler, Soderstrom, Wilson, and Kurtz are also looking like wins. I don’t think their pitching has enough talent to reach the postseason, but the A’s are headed in the right direction.
When the A’s selected Nick Kurtz many questioned the decision considering what was already at 1B/DH. Many also questions the Wilson selection. Well, not only do both look like hits but both are contributing early and helping this team build toward what is trending toward a great team once they move to Las Vegas.
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