Not only is Major League Baseball in full swing, but multiple levels of the minor leagues kicked off this week as well, which means baseball's future stars are taking the field.
This "Top Prospect Spotlight" will be a weekly series highlighting one of these player's performances in the previous week, as well as their outlook for when we can expect to see them on a big league field.
Our first edition of the series features Nick Kurtz, the number one prospect in the Athletics farm system and the #36 prospect in all of baseball according to MLB Pipeline.
Nick Kurtz's introduction to professional baseball
Less than a year ago, Kurtz was still playing college baseball for Wake Forest, where he spent all three of his college seasons.
After an impressive freshman and sophomore campaign for the Demon Deacons, it was obvious that Kurtz would be sought after early on in the first round of the MLB Draft headed into his junior year. He was among some of the top hitters in college baseball in 2024, which earned him a $7 million signing bonus as the fourth overall pick in the draft to the Athletics.
The A's selection of Kurtz caught a lot of fans by surprise, as Jac Caglianone was still on the board at that point, and happened to be ranked above Kurtz by multiple notable draft coverage outlets.
The A's believed in Kurtz's powerful bat and took the gamble. It's safe to say their decision has paid off thus far. Kurtz entered the A's professional ranks and picked right back up where he left off at Wake Forest.
He made his debut at Low-A Stockton where he hit four home runs in just 35 plate appearances which earned him a promotion to Double-A Midland, bypassing High-A Lansing. In 50 total plate appearances between the two levels, Kurtz posted a slash line of .368/.520/.763. His 1.283 OPS was the highest OPS for any A's minor league hitter with at least 50 plate appearances last year — and he did it following a full season of college ball.
Kurtz earned a non-roster invite to A's spring training, where he showed no signs of slowing down. He hit two home runs in 31 plate appearances, along with a .973 OPS and a 160 wRC+ while walking more than he struck out (7 BB/5 K).
Nick Kurtz smoked this ball 444 feet!
— MLB (@MLB) March 8, 2025
He was the 4th overall pick in last year's draft and is @MLBPipeline's No. 38 overall prospect. #SpringTraining pic.twitter.com/vMJThU8ES6
Kurtz's big week at Triple-A Las Vegas
Following his impressive performance at spring training, it became apparent that Kurtz was going to move through the A's organization a lot faster than he was expected to. Given how advanced his bat was as a college hitter, it was no secret that he was going to be one of the faster movers among the 2024 draft class, but Kurtz has really forced the A's hand.
Rather than returning to Double-A upon having only 15 plate appearances at the level last year, Kurtz opened the season in Triple-A despite his smaller sample size of success in the professional ranks. He has big league tools that are very present, and he doesn't need more at-bats at the lower levels to make that known to anyone.
The Aviators season got started on March 28th, and in each of his eight games since, Kurtz has a hit. In four of the team's contests this year, Kurtz has notched multi-hit games. He also has eight extra-base hits already, four of which left the yard. His four home runs to this point are tied for the Minor League lead.
In 38 plate appearances thus far, Kurtz is sporting a .412/.459/.882 slash line, good for a 1.342 OPS and a 241 wRC+. His slugging percentage, OPS, and wRC+ all lead Triple-A hitters with at least 30 plate appearances to this point, while his batting average and on-base percentage both rank within the top 12.
Nick Kurtz continues to tear up Triple-A, belting his 4th homer of the season and boosting his average to .452!@Athletics | @AviatorsLV pic.twitter.com/n9KVL4aADf
— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) April 6, 2025
Kurtz's calling card when he entered the A's system was his elite combination of ability to hit for consistent power and contact while drawing a lot of walks and limiting strikeouts. He has certainly done a good job of that so far, as he has really established himself as one of the premier power hitters in Minor League Baseball.
A big problem power hitting prospects have when they enter the big leagues is that they are unable to access their power due to limited contact skills. Kurtz has shown no such weakness at any level since college, which leads me to believe a call-up to the show is on the horizon.