Minor League Baseball

Athletics Top Prospect Nick Kurtz Launches Missile For 1st Career Triple-A Home Run

It didn't take long for Nick Kurtz to establish himself as a threat at the plate in Triple-A, as the Athletics' top prospect crushed a 418-foot home run on Saturday.
Sam Connon|
Charlotte, NC, USA; Wake Forest first baseman Nick Kurtz (8) runs in at the end of the first inning against Florida State during the ACC Baseball Tournament at Truist Field.
Charlotte, NC, USA; Wake Forest first baseman Nick Kurtz (8) runs in at the end of the first inning against Florida State during the ACC Baseball Tournament at Truist Field. | Cory Knowlton-Imagn Images

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Oakland Athletics

Just two games into his Triple-A career, Nick Kurtz has proven himself as a force to be reckoned with.

The 22-year-old first baseman, who is ranked as the No. 2 prospect in the Athletics' farm system, made is debut with the Las Vegas Aviators on minor league Opening Day on Friday. He went 1-for-3 with a double and a walk in that contest against the Reno Aces, then took things one step further on Saturday.

Kurtz went 3-for-4 with a walk, three RBI and four runs, finishing a triple shy of the cycle. The highlight of his breakout performance came in the bottom of the sixth, when he crushed a 108.8 mile-per-hour line drive 418 feet to right for a two-run home run.

Kurtz has mashed at every level, starting with his dominance at Wake Forest. In 164 career NCAA appearances, Kurtz hit .333 with 61 home runs, 182 RBIs, 189 walks and a 1.235 OPS.

That production convinced the A's to take Kurtz with the No. 4 overall pick last summer, and it didn't take long before he earned his first promotion. Kurtz saw action in seven Single-A games before getting called up for five Double-A games, batting .368 with four home runs, 13 RBIs, 12 walks and a 1.283 OPS on the whole.

The Athletics gave Kurtz some extra reps at the Arizona Fall League at the end of the season, and he proceeded to hit .353 with a 1.058 OPS.

Kurtz has spun that success into an impressive start in Triple-A, so it may not be long before he earns a spot on the big league roster.

MLB Pipeline has Kurtz ranked as the No. 38 prospect in baseball – third-highest among first basemen.

Related MiLB Stories

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Sam Connon
SAM CONNON

Sam Connon is a staff writer for “Minor League Baseball on SI’’ and other "On SI'' baseball sites. He previously covered UCLA Athletics for “UCLA on SI’’ and won awards from the College Media Association and Society of Professional Journalists. Connon also wrote for “New England Patriots on SI’’ and was on the Patriots and Boston Red Sox beats at Prime Time Sports Talk. Follow Sam on Twitter @SamConnon.

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