Despite having one of the not-so-great records in the American League, the Athletics from Sacramento have two of the most prominent rookies in Major League Baseball.
On Friday night, Nick Kurtz became the youngest player in MLB history to hit four home runs in a single game. It was one of the best single-game performances in baseball history, let alone the fact that it was a rookie who did it. However, before Kurtz burst onto the scene, it was the other A’s rookie, Jacob Wilson, who everyone thought had the American League Rookie of the Year sealed away back in June. Things have suddenly changed.
Inside Nick Kurtz’s Incredible Rookie Season
Wilson was hitting .372 back on June 7th, which is an incredible mark for a rookie, and to that point, he was thought to be the leading candidate for ROTY after being selected for his first All-Star game appearance. Since then, Kurtz has had an incredible power stroke and has not only been the best rookie, but one of the flat-out best hitters in all of the sport.
Kurtz leads all rookies in the following categories: home runs, RBIs, extra-base hits, and OPS. Marks that are almost certainly going to hold through the final 60 games or so. On top of that, Kurtz has only played in 66 games since making his MLB debut. In 239 at-bats, he has 23 home runs, a .305 average, 1.060 OPS, and 59 RBIs. 41 of his 73 hits this season have gone for extra bases. The only two players in baseball with a better OPS than Kurtz since he made his debut are Aaron Judge and Shohei Ohtani. He’s having one of the best rookie seasons, maybe of all time, considering the sample size and how many games are left to be played. Kurtz is the perfect example of why some baseball fans have a problem with the All-Star game.
He was called up in May and had not played enough games to qualify for an All-Star game appearance, but he’s had the best month of July out of any hitter. In comparison to his teammate Wilson, who again has had a fine rookie season, the numbers speak for themselves. Wilson is hitting .312 with 10 home runs and a .793 OPS over 94 games this season.
Did Kurtz Swipe the Rookie of the Year Award From Wilson?
Kurtz likely swiped the most illustrious award for a rookie in MLB right from under the feet of Wilson. Kurtz is now the favorite, and his numbers are a strong reason. With the four-homer performance, where Kurtz went an astounding 6/6 with 19 total bases, six runs scored, and eight RBIs, that’s likely enough to seal the deal for him.
Others in the race include his teammate Wilson, who I’m sure is also shocked at Kurtz’s performance, and Cam Smith of the Houston Astros. As noted, Kurtz has been the best hitter in all of baseball in July. He has a .425 average, 11 home runs, a 1.082 slugging percentage, and 27 RBIs. Those numbers alone are almost better than his teammate Wilson’s entire season. Kurtz has essentially solidified himself as the 2025 American League Rookie of the Year, and he did it most incredibly.
Did Nick Kurtz Steal ROTY From His Athletics’ Teammate With 4-Homer Performance?