| Nick Kurtz | |
|---|---|
| Athletics – No. 16 | |
| First baseman | |
| Born: (2003-03-12)March 12, 2003 (age 22) Lancaster, Pennsylvania, U.S. | |
Bats: Left Throws: Left | |
| MLB debut | |
| April 23, 2025, for the Athletics | |
| MLB statistics (through 2025 season) | |
| Batting average | .290 |
| Home runs | 36 |
| Runs batted in | 86 |
Stats atBaseball Reference  | |
| Teams | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
Nicholas Jeffrey Kurtz (born March 12, 2003), nicknamed "Big Amish", is an American professionalbaseballfirst baseman for theAthletics ofMajor League Baseball (MLB). He playedcollege baseball for theWake Forest Demon Deacons and was selected by the Athletics in the first round of the2024 MLB draft. He made his MLB debut in 2025.
Kurtz played for the USA 12U National Team and won agold medal at the 2015 World Cup.[1] He spent his freshman year atManheim Township High School, before transferring to theBaylor School inChattanooga, Tennessee.[2][3] Alongside baseball, he competed in basketball. He lettered all four years in baseball and three years in basketball.[4] He committed toWake Forest University to playcollege baseball during his sophomore year at Baylor.[5]
As a freshman at Wake Forest in 2022, Kurtz was named a freshmanAll-American after hitting .338/.471/.637 with 15home runs and 56runs batted in (RBI) over 204 at-bats in 54 games. As a sophomore in 2023, he hit .353/.527/.784 with 24 home runs and 69 RBI over 190 at-bats in 56 games[6][7] and was named a first team All-American by the American Baseball Coaches Association.[4] As a junior in 2024, Kurtz was named team captain[4] and slashed .306/.531/.763 with 22 home runs and 57 RBI.[8] Kurtz left Wake Forest as the program's all-time leader in walks (189).[4]
Kurtz was a topprospect entering the2024 Major League Baseball draft;[9][10] theOakland Athletics selected him in the first round, with the fourth overall selection.[11] On July 22, 2024, Kurtz signed with Oakland, receving a $7 million signing bonus.[12][13] He split his first professional season between the Single-AStockton Ports and Double-AMidland RockHounds. Kurtz was assigned to the Triple-ALas Vegas Aviators to begin the 2025 season.
On April 21, 2025, Kurtz was promoted to the major leagues for the first time, after just 32 total games in the minor leagues.[14] He made his MLB debut two days later against theTexas Rangers, where he went 1-for-4 with an RBI single.[15] On May 13, Kurtz hit his first career home run off ofJ. P. Feyereisen of theLos Angeles Dodgers.[16] On June 16, Kurtz hit a two-run walk-off home run offBryan Abreu of theHouston Astros to give the A's a 3–1 victory. It was the first walk-off home run of Kurtz’s Major League career, at a Statcast-projected 447-foot, making it the longest walk-off homer by an A’s player since Statcast began tracking in 2015.[17]
On July 25, 2025, Kurtz became the first rookie in MLB history and the first Athletics player to hitfour home runs in a game, overall gettingsix hits in sixABs for the game. The other two hits were a double and a single, thus tyingShawn Green's 23-year-old MLB record for total bases in a game with 19. The home runs came off of four differentHouston Astros pitchers, including position playerCooper Hummel, in a 15–3 Athletics victory.[18][19] Kurtz was named theAmerican League Player of the Month for July after hitting .395/.480/.953 for the month, with 24 runs, 11 home runs, and 27 RBIs. He was the first Athletic to win Player of the Month sinceJosh Donaldson in September 2013.[20] On September 13, Kurtz hit a 493 foot grand slam off ofScott Barlow of the Cincinnati Reds which is both the longest homer ever by an Athletics hitter since Statcast was introduced in 2015 and tied with the longest homer in 2 years with Shohei Ohtani.[21]Kurtz was namedAL Rookie of the Year in 2025.[22]
Kurtz was born on March 12, 2003, to Marie and Jeff Kurtz. He has two brothers and one sister; his older brother Logan played collegiate baseball atPenn State Berks from 2012 to 2013.[4] His father works in real estate.[23] Kurtz's parents enrolled him intee-ball when he was four years old.[24][25]
While on the Athletics, his teammates gave Kurtz the nickname "Big Amish", a jocular reference to his stature at 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m), 240 lb (110 kg) and his hometown ofLancaster, Pennsylvania, which has a largeAmish community. After a home run, Kurtz began celebrating by twirling his hands in a circular motion, in homage to the Amish tradition ofchurning butter.[26][27] Kurtz himself is not Amish.
| Awards | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | American League Rookie of the Month June 2025 | Succeeded by Nick Kurtz |
| Preceded by Nick Kurtz | American League Rookie of the Month July 2025 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | American League Player of the Month July 2025 | Succeeded by |