WEST SACRAMENTO -- In January 2024, regrouping from another frustrating Draft lottery that saw the club fall outside of the top three picks despite being tied for best odds to land the top selection, the Athletics¡¯ front office and scouting department gathered to kick off the amateur scouting season.
Headed by A¡¯s scouting director Eric Kubota, the meeting inside the war room at the club¡¯s headquarters began as somewhat of a venting session to discuss the disappointment of ending up with the No. 4 pick. Then, a question was asked to every cross-checker and front office member: If we did have the No. 1 pick, who would be No. 1 on your board right now?
Almost unanimously, the answer was Nick Kurtz.
¡°I usually roll my eyes at stories like this,¡± said A¡¯s general manager David Forst. ¡°It¡¯s easy to say now, and everybody looks smart. But the fact that we were at four, Nick was available, and we had spent six months thinking about the fact that we would have taken Nick at No. 1 overall, everybody felt really good about the process.¡±
Kurtz was indeed the No. 1 prospect on the A¡¯s Draft board heading into the 2024 MLB Draft. They drafted him with the fourth overall selection out of Wake Forest. Nine months later, the 22-year-old first baseman will become a big leaguer, getting called up from Triple-A Las Vegas for his Major League debut on Wednesday against the Rangers at Sutter Health Park, where he'll be in the lineup at first base and batting seventh.
It might seem extreme for Kurtz to reach the Majors with just 32 Minor League games under his belt. He will become the sixth-fastest player in franchise history to reach the big leagues in terms of days from the date he was selected, at 283 days. But the A¡¯s believe he is built for such a fast rise.
Kurtz, the A's No. 1 prospect, appears well beyond his years in terms of how he sees pitches and utilizes the strike zone, which has Forst bullish on his ability to translate that at the highest level.
But it¡¯s not just about his massive power and advanced approach at the plate that dates back to his college days, which has helped him dominate Minor League pitching. He also has the makeup that is required.
¡°My sense of Nick is that he is a very even-keeled guy,¡± Forst said. ¡°He hasn¡¯t gotten too high or too low with anything that¡¯s happened to him so far. Even with the [hamstring] injury last year and having to leave Double-A, he took it in stride, rehabbed and got back out to the Fall League. I think that will serve him well here.¡±
The biggest question surrounding Kurtz¡¯s imminent arrival: What position will he play? He is considered a solid defender at first base, though Tyler Soderstrom is currently manning the position for the A¡¯s while enjoying a breakout campaign in which he is currently tied for the MLB home run lead.
Asked that question on Tuesday, Forst indicated that Kurtz will get the majority of playing time at first. Soderstrom, who has been getting pregame reps in the outfield over the past couple of weeks, is expected to see more time in left field and at the designated hitter spot.
¡°It¡¯s not every day you take your best hitter and ask him to move,¡± Forst said. ¡°Tyler has been outstanding through this whole process. ¡ He has been adamant that, whatever we need from him, he¡¯s willing to do. I think the first thing you¡¯ll probably see is Tyler playing left field and Nick playing first base. We¡¯ve also seen Brent [Rooker] go out to left field a few times in the last couple of weeks. He¡¯ll be out there, and Tyler will get a chance to DH.
¡°The most important thing is getting all the bats in the lineup every day. The fact that Tyler has been so receptive and willing to do what¡¯s best for the team has made this an easier decision to have Nick here now.¡±
From college to the pros, Kurtz has racked up personal accomplishments and eye-popping statistics along the way. Now joining a young A¡¯s squad with a goal of competing for the playoffs in 2025, though, the personal numbers are secondary for Kurtz.
"Winning,¡± Kurtz said. ¡°That¡¯s all that really matters to me now. All the personal accolades to get to this point is what I did. Now, it¡¯s about, ¡®Can we win at this level? Can we win every single day?¡¯ That¡¯s what I hope to bring. Do something every single day to help the team win.¡±