A's Kurtz ending long and eventful year on a high note in the desert

MESA, Ariz. – Nick Kurtz's first official home run of the 2024 season came on Feb. 17. More than eight months later, much has changed, but one thing has remained consistent: the 21-year-old can still hammer the baseball.

Kurtz teed off on Arizona Fall League homer No. 1 on Wednesday night during Mesa’s 10-6 defeat to Scottsdale at Sloan Park. The Athletics’ No. 2 prospect was a late addition to the Solar Sox roster as he continued to work his way back from a hamstring injury that ended his first taste of pro ball in late August.

Playing in his third contest on the premier prospect circuit, Kurtz got off to a hot start on a chilly night. A single to the opposite field in the first inning preceded another knock in the third and he walked in the fifth. But in the sixth, Kurtz got out in front of an outside offering and grounded out to second base. It was time to recalibrate.

When he got a hanging breaking ball down in the zone in the eighth, he didn’t sell out to his pullside, instead staying true to his approach.

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

There’s no way to sugarcoat that it’s been a long season for Kurtz, who started as a premier college prospect seeking a run to Omaha on a loaded Wake Forest squad that made MLB Draft history, the Fall League not even a glint in his eye. A right rotator cuff strain shut him down for six games during the spring -- and may have scuttled his chances of being the No. 1 overall pick -- but it was a break that gave him time to reset as he quickly regained his All-American form with 13 homers in a nine-game stretch.

Kurtz’s college tenure featured a mesmerizing blend of patience and power. He walked (189) far more than he struck out (130) while crushing 61 home runs and delivering a 1.235 OPS across his three seasons. The A’s didn’t hesitate to snag the first baseman with the fourth overall pick in July and he quickly slotted onto the Top 100 Prospects list, landing as MLB’s No. 45 overall talent in the year-end rankings.

He brought that approach straight to his first taste of pro ball, as he walked 12 times in 12 games and popped a 1.283 OPS between Single-A Stockton and Double-A Midland, including a first pro hit that went over the fence.

Kurtz has faced mid-major conference pitchers, premium ACC arms, Single-A hurlers working on command, advanced stuff at Double-A and now a hodgepodge of the best the prospect landscape has to offer in the Fall League -- all in an eight-month span. But none of that has changed how he approaches at-bats from the left-handed side of the box.

“It's just about looking for a pitch, getting your pitch and being disciplined in knowing what you're looking for,” Kurtz said. “Pitchers throw a lot of good pitches that are strikes that are not gonna be great to hit. Just kind of stay in one place and just be patient, but at the same time, when you get your pitch, don't miss it.”

The Fall League traditionally serves one of two primary purposes: a proving ground for players on their way to the big leagues, and a chance for players whom organizations hold in high regard to make up for lost time from the regular season. Kurtz checks both boxes.

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“Any time you take a guy in the top five of the Draft, you hope he moves quickly,” A's general manager David Forst told MLB.com. “We obviously got him to Double-A based on his limited performance, and then he had the hamstring injury. ... He’s going to put himself on the radar sooner rather than later. We’ve had those conversations.”

So, all things considered, the first baseman was a natural fit for fall ball.

“I was like, ‘Yeah, absolutely, a chance to play more baseball,’” he said. “I mean, this is a great opportunity, a great experience. I'm just happy to have the opportunity here to meet a lot of great guys, guys from all over the place. I can learn a lot from them as well.”