Athletics 1B Nick Kurtz wins AL Rookie of the Year award, Braves C Drake Baldwin wins NL honor | National Sports

Athletics slugger Nick Kurtz was accompanied by a good friend as he joined one exclusive club on Monday night.

Kurtz was a unanimous choice for American League Rookie of the Year, and Atlanta Braves catcher Drake Baldwin won the National League award.

kAm“xE’D 2 8C62E 9@?@C E92E x’> 8@:?8 E@ 36 AFE FA H:E9 D@>6 @7 32D632==’D 8C62ED H9@ H@? E96 2H2C5[” zFCEK D2:5] QxE AFED D@>6 7:?:D9:?8 E@F496D @? E96 J62C[ =@@< 324< @? :E 2?5 6?;@J H92E x’G6 5@?6 2 =:EE=6 3:E]”k^Am

kAm%96 aa\J62C\@=5 zFCEK 😀 E96 `cE9 F?2?:>@FD D6=64E:@? 7@C E96 p{ 9@?@C 2?5 E96 D64@?5 7C@> E96 p’D 7C2?49:D6[ ;@:?:?8 |2C< |4vH:C6 😕 `hgf] u:?:D9:?8 C:89E 369:?5 zFCEK H2D p’D E62>>2E6 y24@3 (:=D@?[ 2?5 #65 $@I @FE7:6=56C #@>2? p?E9@?J H2D E9:C5]k^Am

kAmxE H2D E96 7:7E9 E:>6 😕 E96 p{ 2?5 ?:?E9 E:>6 @G6C2== E92E E62>>2E6D 7:?:D965 😕 E96 E@A EH@ DA@ED 😕 #@@<:6 @7 E96 *62C 32==@E:?8] %96 =2DE E:>6 :E 92AA6?65 😕 E96 p{ H2D E96 |2C:?6CD’ p=G:? s2G:D 2?5 |2C< {2?8DE@? 😕 `hgc]k^Am

kAm“xE’D 2H6D@>6] w6 H2D 24EF2==J 😕 E96 D2>6 C@@> H:E9 >6 b_ >:?FE6D 28@ @C D@[Q zFCEK D2:5 @7 (:=D@?]k^Am

kAmQ%92E’D D@>6E9:?8 E92E H6 C62==J H2?E65 E@ 5@ E@86E96C] xE D9@HD E96 <:?5 @7 E62>>2E6D H6 2C6 2?5 9@H H6 DEC:G6 E@ >2<6 6249 @E96C 36EE6C]”k^Am

kAm%96 aa\J62C\@=5 zFCEK 32EE65 ]ah_ H:E9 be 9@>6CD[ ge #qxD 2?5 2 `]__a ~!$ 😕 “f 82>6D E9:D J62C] %96 7:CDE 32D6>2? 3642>6 E96 6:89E9 C@@<:6 D:?46 `h_` E@ 7:?:D9 H:E9 2? ~!$ @G6C `]___ H9:=6 >2<:?8 2E =62DE c__ A=2E6 2AA62C2?46D]k^Am

kAmq2=5H:?[ ac[ DE6AA65 FA 7@C pE=2?E2 27E6C }@] ` 42E496C $62? |FCA9J H2D D:56=:?65 3J 2 4C24<65 C:3 😕 DAC:?8 EC2:?:?8] (9:=6 |FCA9J H2D =:>:E65 3J :?;FC:6D 7@C >F49 @7 E96 J62C[ q2=5H:? 9:E ]afc H:E9 `h 9@>6CD[ g_ #qxD 2?5 2? ]g`_ ~!$ 😕 `ac 82>6D]k^Am

kAmq2=5H:?’D H:? D64FC65 2? 6IEC2 D6=64E:@? 7@C pE=2?E2 27E6C E96 7:CDE C@F?5 😕 ?6IE J62C’D 2>2E6FC 5C27E F?56C E96 4@==64E:G6 32C82:?:?8 28C66>6?E’D AC@DA64E AC@>@E:@? :?46?E:G6]k^Am

kAm“x H2D ;FDE 8@:?8 :?E@ :E H:E9 2? @A6? >:?5[ <:?5 @7 C62=:K:?8 9@H 4@@= :E 😀 E@ 6G6? 36 2 7:?2=:DE 7@C :E[” q2=5H:? D2:5] “qFE x 5:5?’E @H 9@H :E H2D 8@:?8 E@ EFC? @FE] x @H :E’D E@F89 E@ C2?< @C ECJ E@ ;F586 H9@ 925 2 36EE6C J62C 36EH66? 2 A:E496C 2?5 2 9:EE6C @C 2 42E496C]”k^Am

kAmq2=5H:? C646:G65 a` @7 b_ 7:CDE\A=246 G@E6D] rF3D C:89E\92?56C r256 w@CE@? 8@E E96 @E96C ?:?6 7:CDE\A=246 G@E6D 2?5 7:?:D965 D64@?5[ 7@==@H65 3J qC6H6CD E9:C5 32D6>2? r2=63 sFC3:?] %96 32==@E:?8 H2D 4@?5F4E65 367@C6 E96 A@DED62D@?]k^Am

kAmq2=5H:? D2:5 w@CE@? 925 2 72?E2DE:4 J62C]k^Am

kAm“t:E96C H2J[ 6G6? :7 96 H@F=5’G6 H@?[ x H@F=5 92G6 925 2== E96 C6DA64E 😕 E96 H@C=5 7@C 9:> 2?5 x’5 92G6 F?56CDE@@5 H9J[” 96 D2:5]k^Am

kAmq2=5H:? 2?5 zFCEK 6249 86E Sfd_[___ 7C@> 2 AC6\2C3:EC2E:@? 3@?FD A@@=[ 2?5 CF??6CD\FA w@CE@? 2?5 (:=D@? 6249 C646:G6 Sd__[___]k^Am

kAm%96 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^@9E2?:\;F586\5@586CD\J2?<66D\>=3\f2c5534h4gd`4gb_dfa3d_34d3ahaedfQm|2?286C @7 E96 *62Ck^2m 7@C 6249 =628F6 H:== 36 2??@F?465 @? %F6D52J[ 7@==@H65 3J E96 rJ *@F?8 pH2C5 H:??6CD @? (65?6D52J]k^Am

kAmzFCEK[ aa[ DE2CC65 2E (2<6 u@C6DE &?:G6CD:EJ 367@C6 96 H2D D6=64E65 3J E96 p’D H:E9 E96 }@] c A:4< 😕 E96 a_ac 2>2E6FC 5C27E] %96 e\7@@E\d D=F886C 3682? E9:D D62D@? 😕 E96 >:?@CD[ 3FE 96 9:E 2? #qx D:?8=6 😕 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^2E9=6E:4D\?:4<\=3\563FE\dhfb5bba`edh453`gfb6`b35h2g4gcagQm9:D 7:CDE 3:8 =628F6 2E\32Ek^2m @? pAC:= ab 282:?DE %6I2D]k^Am

kAmxE H2D 2 D:8? @7 E9:?8D E@ 4@>6]k^Am

kAmw6 9:E 2 D@=@ 5C:G6 @77 s@586CD C6=:6G6C y]!] u6J6C6:D6? 7@C 9:D 7:CDE 3:8 =628F6 9@>6C @? |2J `b] w6 36=E65 7@FC >@C6 9@>6CD 😕 2 DA2? @7 7@FC 52JD E92E D2>6 >@?E9[ :?4=F5:?8 9:D 7:CDE 42C66C >F=E:9@>6C 82>6 @? |2J a` 282:?DE E96 p?86=D]k^Am

kAmw6 925 9:D D:8?2EFC6 A6C7@C>2?46 @? yF=J ad 2E w@FDE@?[ 364@>:?8 E96 J@F?86DE A=2J6C 😕 >2;@C =628F6 9:DE@CJ 2?5 E96 7:CDE C@@<:6 E@ 9:E k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^2E9=6E:4D\?:4<\6CD\_6aafh`_2_45eh_67ae57d4h7cd`b_2eQm7@FC 9@>6 CF?Dk^2m 😕 @?6 82>6] w6 H6?E e 7@C e H:E9 6:89E #qxD H9:=6 >2E49:?8 2? |{q C64@C5 H:E9 `h E@E2= 32D6D]k^Am

kAmzFCEK 😀 E96 ?:?E9 H:??6C 7@C E96 pVD @G6C2==[ D64@?5 😕 E96 p{ 369:?5 E96 *2?<66DV `_]k^Am

kAmq2=5H:? H2D 2 E9:C5\C@F?5 A:4< 😕 E96 a_aa 5C27E @FE @7 |:DD@FC: $E2E6 &?:G6CD:EJ] w6 DE2CE65 @? @A6?:?8 52J 7@C pE=2?E2 2?5 8@E 9:D 7:CDE >2;@C =628F6 9:E @? |2C49 ah 2E $2? s:68@]k^Am

kAmq2=5H:? 925 @?6 @7 9:D 3:886DE 52JD @7 E96 D62D@? @? yF=J a`[ k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^8:2?ED\3C2G6D\D4@C6\efbd3c3d3da3hh7c5agdb4673h`6cfdeQm5C:G:?8 😕 D:I CF?Dk^2m 😕 2 h\d G:4E@CJ @G6C $2? uC2?4:D4@] w6 H6?E 566A EH:46 2?5 7:?:D965 H:E9 7:G6 #qxD 😕 9:D 7:CDE 42C66C >F=E:9@>6C 82>6 @? pF8] f[ k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^3C2G6D\>2C=:?D\D4@C6\5C2<6\32=5H:?\c36443g`ec62c4f237hfgd3dg32ed335Qm2? g\e H:? @G6C |:2>:k^2m]k^Am

kAmq2=5H:? 😀 E96 D6G6?E9 42E496C E@ H:? E96 }{ 9@?@C 2?5 E96 D64@?5 7C@> E96 qC2G6D[ ;@:?:?8 t2C= (:==:2>D 😕 `hf`] w6 😀 E96 `_E9 H:??6C 7C@> E96 qC2G6D 7C2?49:D6 @G6C2==[ D64@?5 😕 E96 }{ 369:?5 E96 s@586CD H:E9 2 C64@C5 `g]k^Am

kAmq2=5H:?VD ?6H >2?286C[ k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^3C2G6D\>2?286C\H2=E\H6:DD\h`2e7g3b27e_af2h4e63bd32g34e`hf3Qm(2=E (6:DDk^2m[ H2D E96 `hgg p{ #@@<:6 @7 E96 *62C H:E9 E96 pVD] (6:DD 925 366? E96 qC2G6D’ 36?49 4@249 D:?46 a_`g]k^Am

kAm“%96 =2DE 82>6 @7 E96 J62C 96 E@=5 >6 8@@5 =F4<[Q q2=5H:? D2:5] QtG6? 36:?8 @? E96 D2>6 =:DE 2D 9:> 😀 AC6EEJ 4@@=] tG6CJ@?6 C6DA64ED 9:>] w6’D 2 8C62E 8FJ]”k^Am

kAm000k^Am

kAmp! |{qi k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^|{qQm9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^|{qk^2mk^Am

Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.