A's No. 2 prospect gets his first 'Wow' moment of big league camp

This story was excerpted from Martín Gallegos’ A’s Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

MESA, Ariz. -- Nick Kurtz is not a big leaguer yet, but he has already experienced his first “Welcome to the Show” moment this Spring Training.

The memorable experience took place on the third day of full-squad workouts last Wednesday on the backfields of the Lew Wolff Training Complex. Kurtz -- the Athletics' No. 2 prospect in 2024 and MLB Pipeline’s No. 38 overall prospect -- was lined up for a live batting practice session, and while taking some warm-up swings, he watched a towering 6-foot-5 righty slowly make his way to the mound: 2024 All-Star closer Mason Miller.

“I was like, ‘Wow. He’s the best closer in baseball, and I’m about to get an at-bat off him,’” Kurtz said. “That was really cool.”

Relishing the opportunity to face one of the game’s elite arms, Kurtz dug in and prepared for Miller’s electric stuff. After taking a few pitches, Kurtz turned on a slider and belted a deep fly ball to left-center field that bounced off the wall.

“It was kind of a win-win for me,” Kurtz said. “I was expecting to strikeout, so just being able to see him and see what it looks like was really cool.”

The drive was a glimpse of why the A’s were so ecstatic to land Kurtz fourth overall in the 2024 MLB Draft. The combination of an advanced hitting approach, strong defense and a 6-foot-5, 240-pound frame has drawn comparisons from some within the organization to former A’s homegrown first baseman Matt Olson.

Kurtz has already opened some eyes. There was a day in camp when he was teeing off on the breaking ball machine so effortlessly that, for a brief moment, A’s coaches thought the machine might have been malfunctioning.

“I told the guys we need to improve the breaking balls to make it more big league,” manager Mark Kotsay said with a grin. “But that’s not a surprise. We understand his power and how he can impact the baseball.”

Given his advanced hitting abilities, Kurtz was aggressively moved through the system from the jump. He began his professional career with Single-A Stockton, and after dominating California League pitching to the tune of a .400/.571/.960 slash line with four home runs, two doubles and 12 RBIs through seven games, he bypassed High-A and was promoted straight to Double-A Midland, where he hit .308 (4-for-13) in five games before a hamstring injury cut his season short.

Recovering from the hamstring strain in October, Kurtz made up for lost time by playing in the Arizona Fall League. Once again, he shined at the plate by hitting .353 with a 1.058 OPS in 13 games.

“I got a small taste of playing every day,” Kurtz said. “How to stay consistent in your process and move on from pitch to pitch and at-bat to at-bat. Getting used to that and having success was really helpful just to know I’m good enough to do this. I can be here. I can compete with the best of them.”

With a hot start reminiscent of A’s 2024 No. 1 prospect Jacob Wilson, who reached the Majors last year just 376 days after he was drafted sixth overall, the question of how quickly Kurtz can reach the big leagues is already being asked. A’s general manager David Forst said he does not rule out a callup in 2025, though the club will remain patient and continue moving him through the system when they believe he is truly ready.

“The biggest challenge for him will be not listening to all the people who say when he’s going to get there,” said A’s director of player development Ed Sprague. “He’ll get to the big leagues at some point. He’s a monster. He has a ton of power. He’s got a hit tool. Surprisingly, he’s pretty agile around the bag. It’s just about letting this kid get his at-bats.”

Kurtz is not concerned with how quickly he reaches The Show. Taking part in his first big league camp, the focus is taking in experiences like that at-bat against Miller and hitting conversations with experienced players such as Brent Rooker and Seth Brown. He knows his time will come soon, perhaps even this year for an A’s team with serious playoff aspirations.

“There’s a lot of thoughts about what [the A’s] are going to do this season, but we’re still kind of the underdog,” Kurtz said. “That would be awesome to be a part of. … Learning from the vets who have been in the league for a while and what it takes to be a big leaguer when I do get there one day, that’s what my whole process is here. I don’t care how I do [in games]. I just want to learn and get better every single day.”