MESA, Ariz. — Nick Kurtz already has the power. The A’s first baseman slugged 36 home runs with an OPS of 1.002 as a rookie, numbers that earned him a unanimous American League Rookie of the Year award. But as he enters his second season, the focus has shifted to the other side of the ball.
Kurtz’s defensive metrics ranked near the bottom among qualified first basemen in 2025, and he acknowledges the need for improvement. “Obviously, I want to increase the defensive numbers,” Kurtz said. “Just because you hit well one year doesn’t mean you’ll hit well the next year. Just need to constantly improve and figure out what I need to do, those slight different changes I need to make. It can be a daily battle.”
The 22-year-old debuted in late April after starting the season with Triple-A Las Vegas. He caught fire in May and finished with a .290 average and 86 RBIs. His OPS ranked third in the majors behind only Aaron Judge and Shohei Ohtani. In July, he became the 20th player in history to hit four home runs in a single game.
Manager Mark Kotsay praised Kurtz’s consistency and mindset. “He’s the same every day — like he’s 13 years old,” Kotsay said. “He learned really quickly when he got to us and went through a little bit of failure, he found his routine and process and recognized you can’t get caught up in results.”
This spring, Kurtz has occasionally hit leadoff, though Kotsay said the lineup is not set. “To get certain guys that opportunity presents a leverage situation,” Kotsay said. “Nick is someone who has a good on-base percentage and slugging percentage. For him to sit at the top of an order, there’s some benefit to that.”
Reports have surfaced that the A’s have already offered Kurtz a contract extension, following similar deals given to Tyler Soderstrom and Jacob Wilson this offseason. Kurtz deflected questions about his future. “At the end of the day, whatever happens is going to happen,” he said. “Everything happens for a reason. Just trying to win ballgames.”
Kurtz is expected to be a cornerstone when the A’s relocate to Las Vegas in 2028. “We’re going to know who we are, and we’re going to be real close by the time we get there,” he said. “It’s going to be exciting to go into a new city with a group I’m familiar with.”
Catcher Shea Langeliers offered high praise. “My personal opinion is, if you want to know what a Hall of Famer looks like at 22, this is what it looks like,” Langeliers said. “Hard worker and a better person than baseball player, which is impressive in itself.”
