Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

A’s Promote Top Prospect Nick Kurtz to Big Leagues

Fast-tracked to the big leagues!

Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

The Athletics are wasting no time.

Top prospect Nick Kurtz is headed to the majors less than a year after being drafted and with only 32 professional games under his belt. As reported by ESPN, the 21-year-old first baseman will be activated Wednesday, giving the A’s lineup a jolt of left-handed power.

Kurtz, the fourth overall pick in the 2024 draft, will join the big-league club after spending Tuesday on the taxi squad. The Athletics will lefty Patrick Corbin that night, and the team is opting for a short runway before throwing Kurtz into the mix. Once he’s active, the A’s are plugging in one of the most polished bats from last year’s draft class. Kurtz made quick work of the minors, showcasing the same advanced approach that made him a standout across three seasons at Wake Forest. He impressed immediately after the draft, slashing .368 with four home runs across 12 games between Single-A and Double-A, then torched the Arizona Fall League with a .353 average.

Nick Kurtz will be joining the Athletics! What kind of ceiling can you expect? ✍️

✅️middle order bat
✅️big time power (30-40 hr)
✅️run production (100+ rbi)
✅️50%+ better than avg bat

Kurtz's no regression projections are eye-popping!
pic.twitter.com/PljbuyCQNq
— Scout the Statline (@StatlineScout) April 21, 2025

His momentum never slowed. In just 20 games at Triple-A Las Vegas this spring, Kurtz raked, launching seven home runs, logging a 1.040 OPS, and leaving little doubt that he was ready for the next level. ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel ranked him No. 52 on his preseason top-100 list, and Kurtz has since done nothing but climb.

With his call-up, Kurtz becomes the third player from the 2024 draft to reach the majors, joining Cam Smith (14th overall, Astros) and Ryan Johnson (74th overall, Angels), both of whom made their respective Opening Day rosters. He’s also now one of the youngest position players to debut for the A’s in the last 25 years.

What remains to be seen is how manager Mark Kotsay fits Kurtz into the mix.

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Tyler Soderstrom, also 23, is enjoying a breakout season at first base and currently shares the MLB home run lead with nine while maintaining a 1.005 OPS. Designated hitter Brent Rooker is another key bat and could shift to left field if needed. Earlier this month, Kotsay floated the idea of a rotating cast at first, DH, and left field involving Kurtz, Soderstrom, and Rooker, a shuffle that now looks imminent.

The A’s, sitting at 10-12 and last in the AL West with a .455 winning percentage, are hoping Kurtz can spark something. If his track record is any indication, the wait won’t be long.

Athletics

Nick Kurtz

Mohsin Baldiwala

mlb

Mohsin Baldiwala is a Master’s student in Journalism and freelance content producer who got hooked on baseball through Seinfeld’s hapless George Costanza. The same reason why he’s a Yankees fan. He writes about sports because he believes it can offer a brief escape from the world’s chaos. Even if that means enduring the heartbreak of the 2024 World Series.