Best of both worlds: Kurtz shows off power, gives outfield a go in Fall League

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Nick Kurtz's bat got him selected by the A’s fourth overall this year, and his bat has the first baseman ranked No. 45 overall by MLB Pipeline. Where will he land on the other side of the ball? Well, at the very least, he's broadened his horizons in the Arizona Fall League.

The 21-year-old provided another example of his hitting prowess on his second fall home run in Mesa’s 11-2 loss to Scottsdale on Tuesday at Scottsdale Stadium. It was his sixth extra-base hit in 11 games for the Solar Sox, and his OPS on the circuit stands at 1.098.

“I’m happy with how I’ve been playing and hopefully it continues for the last few games of the season,” Kurtz said.

But the slugger from Wake Forest is more than just a power hitter. He has some sneaky athleticism for a 6-foot-5, 240-pounder. He’s tripled twice in the Fall League, nearly hitting for the cycle on Halloween.

“I feel like anyone can be fast if they want to,” Kurtz said after that game. “Guys just have to want it, will yourself to do it.”

Now he's getting the opportunity to transition that athleticism into some defensive versatility. Kurtz made his professional debut in left field during Tuesday's game.

“It was new. It was different,” he said. “But once I got out there and saw a couple fly balls, it was just like anything else. Just playing the game.”

It’s not uncommon for players to field different positions in the Fall League, depending on roster construction. And the Solar Sox need a little of that, with defending AFL Hitter of the Week Jonathan Long (CHC No. 30), Xavier Isaac (TB No. 2/MLB No. 36) and Niko Kavadas (LAA No. 29) joining Kurtz as players who primarily play first base on the roster.

Kurtz got into 12 games across Single-A and Double-A this season, all at first base. Until Tuesday, he had only played first or served as designated hitter during this campaign. In fact, he hadn’t played in the outfield since fall ball his freshman year at Wake Forest.

There’s a saying in baseball when a player takes the field out of position: The ball always finds you.

Kurtz’s first chance came in the bottom of the first inning on a two-out single to left by Peyton Williams (Blue Jays), and he played it without issue. But the Scorpions put Kurtz and Co. to the test in the third.

After Jett Williams (NYM No. 2/MLB No. 52) singled to right, and AFL MVP contender Josue Briceño (DET No. 9) sent a ball toward left-center. It hung in the air as Kurtz and center fielder Denzel Clarke (ATH No. 10) converged on it, but Clarke -- who has showcased some phenomenal defense in the AFL -- called him off.

“I thought I could catch the ball,” Kurtz said. “But if [Clarke] calls me off, I know there’s a 98 percent chance he’s going to catch it, so I’ll trust him every time on that.”

Unfortunately, this ball fell into the other 2 percent. Clarke couldn’t reel it in, and Scottsdale got on the board first with an RBI double.

“I’m not as quick as some of the other outfielders,” Kurtz said. “And [Clarke] had two bigger guys in the corners [Kavadas was in right], so we were just talking about how he would have to cover some more ground today.”

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The next batter, Williams, hit a line drive toward Kurtz. He raced in a few steps and attempted a sliding grab, but the ball hit off the heel of his glove and dropped to the turf to allow another run to score.

“I probably should have caught that one, but it’s a tough play, especially for the first time being out there,” Kurtz said. “So I’ll give myself a little slack on that one.”

Neither play was a "gimme," and no errors were charged. Two batters later, Kurtz hauled in a fly ball by Drew Gilbert (NYM No. 3/MLB No. 74) to end the inning.

The next six frames went quietly by comparison, with a few base hits in Kurtz’s direction but nothing he had a chance to make a play on. All told, he felt good about his first foray into the outfield.

“There were nerves,” he said, “but once I got that first fly ball, I was good after that.”