Kurtz puts the hurt on his first spring homer

LAS VEGAS -- When Nick Kurtz eventually makes his highly anticipated Major League debut with the Athletics, his road to The Show likely will have included a stop with the Las Vegas Aviators, the club’s Triple-A affiliate.

Before officially playing a game for the Aviators, Kurtz -- rated the A’s No. 2 prospect and No. 38 overall prospect in baseball by MLB Pipeline -- made himself comfortable in their home of Las Vegas Ballpark, where the A’s came away victorious, 4-2, on Saturday afternoon in the first of two exhibition games against the D-backs as part of Big League Weekend.

Getting the start at first base, Kurtz pounced on a 1-1 slider left up in the zone by Tommy Henry in his first at-bat. The wind blowing in from center field was no match for Kurtz’s 65-grade power, as the 21-year-old drilled his first spring home run – a Statcast-projected 441-foot solo drive to straightaway center that left his bat at an exit velocity of 110.3 mph.

“I knew I got it pretty good off the bat,” Kurtz said. “With the wind today, I didn’t really know. There were a lot of balls up in the air that were staying in. The first [homer] is always the hardest, so I was glad to see it go.”

Kurtz’s impressive displays of power on the back fields of A’s Spring Training have almost become folklore. That power dates back to his college days, when he belted 61 homers over his three seasons at Wake Forest prior to becoming the fourth overall selection in the 2024 MLB Draft.

“Great swing,” manager Mark Kotsay said of Kurtz’s homer. “I really like the way he approaches the zone. He’s got a tremendous amount of power. To hit a ball out to center today through this wind was pretty impressive.”

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In the small sample size of his professional debut last season, Kurtz did most of his damage against right-handers. He had seven extra-base hits in 12 Minor League games, and all seven came off righties.

The homer Saturday against the left-handed Henry was a sign that Kurtz also has that left-on-left approach in his bag.

“I think I’ve been getting better,” Kurtz said of facing left-handers. “When I first came to spring, I hadn’t seen a left-handed pitcher in forever. Making some adjustments to a left-handed pitcher and getting used to it again, I’m feeling a lot better against them.”

Power is only part of why Kurtz is regarded as a special talent. Scouts have raved about his advanced approach at the plate, with a keen eye allowing for supreme pitch recognition. That side of his game was also on display in his second plate appearance.

Facing D-backs right-hander Yordin Chalas in the bottom of the fifth inning, Kurtz watched a 2-0 sinker go by for a called strike he disagreed with. With the experimental Automated Ball-Strike (ABS) challenge system in place, Kurtz quickly tapped his helmet to request a challenge. The strike call was overturned to make it 3-0 count, and Kurtz was on first base one pitch later for a four-pitch walk.

“That was my second challenge,” Kurtz said. “I’m 1-for-2 now. Lost the first one. I think it’s fine. … It’s fun to try out in Spring Training, especially on those calls you know are right or wrong, because everyone is human and they make mistakes.”

After hitting .368 with four home runs in 12 games between Single-A Stockton and Double-A Midland last year, then going to the Arizona Fall League and hitting .353 with a 1.058 OPS in 13 games, the buzz is already generating for Kurtz and how quickly he could reach the Majors. After all, A’s No. 1 prospect Jacob Wilson -- who also homered and made a dazzling barehanded catch on Saturday to start an inning-ending double play -- reached the Majors last year just 376 days after he was drafted sixth overall.

The A’s do not rule out a callup to the Majors in 2025, especially if Kurtz’s offensive tear through the Minors from last season carries over. Until that moment comes, he wants to continue learning the nuances of professional baseball and enjoy the ride through each Minor League level, including the Triple-A experience he is getting a taste of this weekend in Vegas.

“This place is awesome,” Kurtz said of Las Vegas Ballpark. “All the guys say this is one of the best Triple-A clubhouses and stadiums in the country. It’s really cool to be here with all these guys.”