Kurtz, Lopez, Stephan earn AFL Week 4 honors

Week 4 in the Arizona Fall League was all about big flies and flirting with history. These players separated themselves during what was another excellent week of AFL action.

Mesa first baseman Nick Kurtz (ATH No. 2/MLB No. 45) slugged his way to AFL Hitter of the Week honors and Glendale right-handers Josh Stephan (TEX No. 25) and Leandro Lopez (Rangers) nearly no-hit themselves to Co-Pitcher of the Week honors.

The fourth overall pick in the 2024 Draft, Kurtz was limited to 12 regular-season games in his pro debut and got a late start in the Fall League due to a hamstring injury. But he’s done nothing but hit since arriving in Arizona, intent on capping a long, life-changing year for the 21-year-old on a high note. He socked his first homer of the fall as part of a four-hit, four-RBI effort as Mesa erupted for 17 runs on Oct. 31, and rode that momentum through the rest of the week.

All told, Kurtz finished the week with a .533 average (8-for-15), .650 on-base percentage, one double, triple and homer each, eight RBIs, five walks and 14 total bases. His 1.583 OPS for the week ranked second among AFL hitters (min: 15 plate appearances).

“My goal is kind of to get back to the left-center gap just coming back after two-and-a-half months [away],” Kurtz told MLB Pipeline on Oct. 31. “I’m working that way and kind of staying inside the baseball. Spin it right that way, it’s got a good chance.”

It’s not unusual for AFL Pitcher of the Week honors to be bestowed on a hurler that logged several no-hit innings during one outing. This week, two pitchers did that – for the same team in the same game.

The result was Surprise’s near-no-hitter against Peoria on Nov. 1, which the Saguaros watched be broken up in the eighth inning — after Lopez and Stephan had combined for seven no-hit frames. The 22-year-old Lopez struck out seven over the first three innings, issuing only one walk in a dominant start. The 23-year-old Stephan was then perfect for the next four frames, during which he struck out five.

“Attack,” was how Lopez described his mindset to MLB Pipeline afterwards. “Attack early. And once that builds, I can do other things after that.”

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For Stephan, it was the latest brilliant effort in what’s easily been the most impressive fall from an AFL pitcher this year. He’s now amassed 17 strikeouts and pitched to a 0.54 ERA across 16 ⅔ innings over five appearances. He leads all AFL arms in innings, ERA and WHIP (0.660; min: 10 IP) through four weeks of play.

Those numbers will play in any league, but especially this one. Entering Monday, the AFL's combined league ERA was 6.08.