Athletics star Nick Kurtz named Baseball America’s MLB Rookie of the Year originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
No surprises here.
Star Athletics first baseman Nick Kurtz was named Baseball America’s MLB Rookie of the Year on Wednesday, the sports publication announced to Chris Townsend on “A’s Cast,” further solidifying Big Amish’s unreal introduction to the big leagues.
Kurtz, whom the A’s selected with the No. 4 pick in the 2024 MLB Draft, absolutely has raked over 112 games during the 2025 season — after becoming the sixth-fastest player to reach the majors in franchise history following his promotion from Triple-A Las Vegas on April 23.
Advertisement
The two-time AL Rookie of the Month enters Wednesday’s game against the Houston Astros carrying a sensational .995 OPS and 5.0 WAR with 117 hits, 81 RBI, 33 home runs, 26 doubles and 60 walks. Kurtz is slashing .291/.383/.612.
His magnum opus of the year came on July 25, when Kurtz became the first rookie to hit four homers in one game — a 15-3 win over Houston at Daikin Park. Kurtz finished with 19 total bases, eight RBI and six hits.
“It’s hard to think about this day being, you know, kind of real,” Kurtz told Chris Caray and Dallas Braden on “A’s Cast” following the win. “Still feels like a dream. So it’s just, it’s pretty remarkable. I’m kind of speechless.
Advertisement
“I don’t really know what to say.”
The same can be said about Kurtz’s green-and-gold ascent.
On a team with fellow star rookie Jacob Wilson, who has a .318 batting average with 150 hits over 121 games this year, and two-time MLB All-Star slugger Brent Rooker, who has an .821 OPS with 30 homers in 2025, not many expected Kurtz to headline the A’s offense when he was first called up.
But as the Baseball America nod implies, Kurtz is the real deal. He should be a fan-favorite building block for the A’s for seasons to come.