Nick Kurtz Stats & Scouting Report

AB	102
AVG	.235
OBP	.302
SLG	.431
HR	5

Full name Nicholas Jeffrey Kurtz
Born 03/11/2003 in Lancaster, PA
Profile Ht.: 6'6" / Wt.: 230 / Bats: L / Throws: L
School Baylor
Drafted in the 1st round (4th overall) by the Athletics in 2024 (signed for $7,000,000).

View Draft Report

School: Wake Forest
Commit/Drafted: Never Drafted
Age At Draft: 21.4
BA Grade: 55/High
Tools: Hit: 60. Power: 60. Run: 40. Field: 60. Arm: 50.

One of the most well-rounded position players in the 2024 class, Kurtz is a towering, 6-foot-5, 235-pound, lefthanded-hitting first baseman who has been a lethal middle-of-the-order presence in Wake Forest’s lineup since the day he stepped on campus. He homered 15 times as a freshman and then put together back-to-back 20-homer campaigns in each of his next two seasons. He is a career .333/.510/.725 hitter and ranks second on Wake Forest’s career leaderboard with 61 home runs—behind only 2023 first-rounder Brock Wilken—and first with 161 walks. Kurtz has a terrific blend of raw power and advanced bat-to-ball skills with a surprisingly compact swing and a great batting eye. He never expands the zone and is content to take free passes when pitchers work him carefully. His 80% career contact rate is a strong number for a tall, long-levered hitter with his all-fields impact ability. Kurtz has a chance for a plus hit and plus power combination that could lead to a .280 average and 30-plus home runs in his peak years, with a solid offensive floor given his on-base skills. Kurtz finished his career with a 24.1% walk rate, and his 30% mark in 2024 was tops among all Division I hitters. While he is a first baseman, he is a potentially plus defender at the position who moves well around the bag and has reliable hands and a solid throwing arm. Kurtz has dealt with rib and shoulder injuries that have cost him time during his college career, but he should still be a top 10 pick.

Top Rankings

Organization Prospect Rankings

BA Grade/Risk: 60/High

Track Record: Kurtz entered 2024 as one of college baseball’s preeminent sluggers on a top-ranked Wake Forest team that had College World Series aspirations. He ranked as Baseball America’s No. 2 draft prospect prior to the season and also entered the season atop the Athletics’ draft board. But neither Kurtz nor the Demon Deacons quite met expectations. Kurtz scuffled early while dealing with a shoulder injury, though he recovered to hit .306 with 22 home runs while leading the nation with 78 walks. Wake Forest bowed out in regionals, but Kurtz’s inconsistent campaign did not dissuade the A’s from drafting him fourth overall and signing him for $7 million. He performed well in a limited pro debut, hitting .368 with four homers in 12 games while reaching Double-A Midland. A hamstring injury ended his season prematurely, though he returned to accrue more at-bats in the Arizona Fall League.

Scouting Report: The 6-foot-5 lefthanded-hitting first baseman is a physical, hulking presence who greets opposing pitchers with a slightly open stance and a fearsome combination of power, advanced contact ability and a sound approach. Kurtz already has some of the best raw power in the Athletics’ system. While he’s capable of hitting towering blasts, he doesn’t sell out for power. Instead, he has a fairly compact swing that yields ample contact, allowing his strong hands and wrists to whip the bat through the zone and hit to all fields. Kurtz has a very discerning eye and posted a .510 on-base percentage with 59 more walks than strikeouts in three college seasons. If anything, he can become overly passive at times. External evaluators had at least some concern about how Kurtz’s lower half and load may impact his ability to tap into pullside power. Kurtz also has plus defensive upside at first base, where he moves surprisingly well despite his size and has reliable hands. He has a solid-average arm—Wake Forest initially recruited him as a pitcher in high school—and he even dabbled with some left field in the AFL, though his defensive future is almost assuredly at first base. And while he did triple twice during the fall circuit, Kurtz is a below-average runner on the bases. Kurtz’s biggest concern may simply be staying on the field. He dealt with rib and shoulder injuries while in college, in addition to the hamstring injury that ended his regular season in late August.

The Future: The A’s believe Kurtz has all-star upside at first base. His combination of power and plate skills should provide a reasonably high offensive floor with the chance to hit for plus average and 30 or more home runs without significant swing-and-miss concerns. After moving 2023 first-rounder Jacob Wilson aggressively last season, Kurtz could also move quickly if he can remain healthy, setting up a potential big league debut in Sacramento at some point in 2025 as part of an emerging young A’s core.

Scouting Grades: Hit: 60 | Power: 60 | Run: 40 | Field: 60 | Arm: 50.

Draft Prospects

School: Wake Forest Commit/Drafted: Never Drafted
Age At Draft: 21.4
BA Grade: 55/High
Tools: Hit: 60. Power: 60. Run: 40. Field: 60. Arm: 50.

One of the most well-rounded position players in the 2024 class, Kurtz is a towering, 6-foot-5, 235-pound, lefthanded-hitting first baseman who has been a lethal middle-of-the-order presence in Wake Forest’s lineup since the day he stepped on campus. He homered 15 times as a freshman and then put together back-to-back 20-homer campaigns in each of his next two seasons. He is a career .333/.510/.725 hitter and ranks second on Wake Forest’s career leaderboard with 61 home runs—behind only 2023 first-rounder Brock Wilken—and first with 161 walks. Kurtz has a terrific blend of raw power and advanced bat-to-ball skills with a surprisingly compact swing and a great batting eye. He never expands the zone and is content to take free passes when pitchers work him carefully. His 80% career contact rate is a strong number for a tall, long-levered hitter with his all-fields impact ability. Kurtz has a chance for a plus hit and plus power combination that could lead to a .280 average and 30-plus home runs in his peak years, with a solid offensive floor given his on-base skills. Kurtz finished his career with a 24.1% walk rate, and his 30% mark in 2024 was tops among all Division I hitters. While he is a first baseman, he is a potentially plus defender at the position who moves well around the bag and has reliable hands and a solid throwing arm. Kurtz has dealt with rib and shoulder injuries that have cost him time during his college career, but he should still be a top 10 pick.

Top 100 Rankings

Career Transactions

Athletics sent 1B Nick Kurtz on a rehab assignment to Stockton Ports.
1B Nick Kurtz assigned to Las Vegas Aviators from Midland RockHounds.
Athletics invited non-roster 1B Nick Kurtz to spring training.
Mesa Solar Sox activated 1B Nick Kurtz.
1B Nick Kurtz assigned to Mesa Solar Sox.
Midland RockHounds activated 1B Nick Kurtz from the 7-day injured list.
Midland RockHounds placed 1B Nick Kurtz on the 7-day injured list.
1B Nick Kurtz assigned to Midland RockHounds from Stockton Ports.
Stockton Ports activated 1B Nick Kurtz.
1B Nick Kurtz assigned to ACL Athletics.
Oakland Athletics signed 1B Nick Kurtz.

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