Nicholas Jeffrey Kurtz (born March 12, 2003) is an American professional baseball first baseman in the Athletics organization.
Amateur career
Kurtz played for the USA 12U National Team and won a gold medal at the 2015 World Cup.[1] He attended Baylor School in Chattanooga, Tennessee.[2] He committed to Wake Forest University to play college baseball.
As a freshman at Wake Forest in 2022, Kurtz was named a freshman All-American after hitting .338/.471/.637 with 15 home runs and 56 runs batted in (RBI) over 204 at-bats in 54 games. As a sophomore in 2023, he hit .353/.527/.784 with 24 home runs and 69 RBI over 190 at-bats in 56 games.[3][4]
Professional career
Kurtz entered his junior season in 2024 as a top prospect for the 2024 Major League Baseball draft.[5][6] He was ultimately drafted fourth overall by the Oakland Athletics.[7] On July 22, 2024, Kurtz signed with the Athletics on an undersold contract worth $7 million.[8]
References
- ^ "Nick Kurtz pitches USA 12U National Team to World Cup championship". LNP. August 4, 2015.
- ^ "Prep roundup: Nick Kurtz, Baylor enjoy special senior night in shutout of McCallie". Chattanooga Times Free Press. April 26, 2021.
- ^ "Wake Forest duo from Baylor among former Chattanooga-area stars in College World Series". Chattanooga Time Free Press. June 15, 2023.
- ^ "Former Manheim Township Blue Streak Nick Kurtz, now at Wake Forest, is an elite MLB prospect". LNP. July 22, 2023.
- ^ "Top 20 college prospects for '24 Draft". MLB.com.
- ^ "2024 MLB Mock Draft: "Way Too Early" Top 10 Picks". Baseball America. July 12, 2023.
- ^ Gallegos, Martín (July 14, 2024). "A's select Wake Forest slugger Nick Kurtz with No. 4 pick". MLB.com.
- ^ Franco, Anthony (July 22, 2024). "A's Sign First-Round Pick Nick Kurtz". MLB Trade Rumors. Retrieved September 26, 2024.
External links
- Career statistics from Baseball Reference (Minors)