Nick Kurtz

Active

Athletics · First Base

Age 236' 5" · 240 lbsBats Left

FBaseball Overview

The 23-year-old first baseman enters 2026 as one of baseball's most compelling young bats, coming off a historic rookie season that earned him AL Rookie of the Year honors and All-MLB Second Team recognition. While his early 2026 numbers show a slight dip in power (19 HR through his first partial season) and average (.279), the early AL Player of the Month award suggests he remains among the league's elite offensive producers. Kurtz offers fantasy managers consistent production across batting average, home runs, and RBI while his position at first base provides steady run-scoring opportunities in Oakland's lineup. The main question for 2026 is whether he can maintain the 36-homer, 90-run pace from 2025 over a full season, though his youth and pedigree suggest another All-Star-caliber campaign is well within reach.

MLB Hitting

Year	Team	G	AVG	HR	RBI	R	SB	OBP	SLG	OPS
2025	Athletics	117	.290	36	86	90	2	.383	.619	1.002
2026	Athletics	89	.275	20	66	61	7	.415	.512	.927
Career	Totals	206	.284	56	152	151	9	.398	.573	.971

Source: MLB Stats API · Multi-team seasons show combined totals — click to expand

Minor League Hitting

Year	Team	G	AVG	HR	RBI	R	SB	OBP	SLG	OPS
2024	2 teams▼	12	.368	4	13	14	1	.520	.763	1.283
2025	2 teams▼	21	.333	8	27	20	0	.400	.690	1.090
Career	Totals	33	.344	12	40	34	1	.440	.712	1.152

Source: MLB Stats API · Multi-team seasons show combined totals — click to expand

Game Log2026 season

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Analytics2026 season · via Baseball Savant

Click for year to year changes

EV Avg94.4 mph

Max EV115.9 mph

Launch Angle12.9°

Barrel %18.7%

K %31.3%

Hard Hit %59.1%

Whiff %36.4%

Chase %22.6%

xBA0.254

xSLG0.505

xwOBA0.386

GB%39.9%

LD%27.3%

FB%29.3%

What These Stats Mean

EV Avg — Average exit velocity — how hard this batter hits the ball. Elite hitters (90+ mph) make consistently hard contact, driving better batting averages and more power.

Max EV — Peak exit velocity on the batter's hardest-hit ball this season. Signals raw power potential even without a high HR total yet.

Launch Angle — Average vertical angle of the ball off the bat. The sweet spot for extra-base hits is roughly 10–30°; extreme ground ball or pop-up hitters sit outside this range.

Barrel % — Percentage of batted balls hit with the optimal exit velocity + launch angle combo. Barrels are the single best predictor of home runs and slugging percentage.

K % — Strikeout rate per plate appearance. High K% suppresses batting average and limits run-scoring opportunities — lower is better for fantasy.

Hard Hit % — Percentage of batted balls hit 95 mph or harder. A broader power indicator than barrels; high hard-hit% players rack up extra-base hits and RBI.

Sprint Speed — Peak sprint speed in feet per second. The best predictor of stolen base upside and ability to leg out infield hits.

Whiff % — Percentage of swings that miss. High whiff rates signal strikeout vulnerability, dragging down batting average and overall production.

Chase % — How often the batter swings at pitches outside the strike zone. Low chase rates mean elite plate discipline — more walks, fewer strikeouts, more consistent at-bats.

xBA — Expected batting average based on contact quality, stripping out luck and defensive positioning. Better predictor of future performance than actual batting average.

xSLG — Expected slugging based on batted ball data. A high xSLG relative to actual SLG suggests power suppressed by bad luck that's likely to bounce back.

xwOBA — Expected weighted on-base average — the most comprehensive single expected metric. Combines contact quality, walks, and strikeouts to project overall offensive production.

GB% — Ground ball rate. High GB% hitters trade home run power for speed-dependent value — good for stolen base upside, but a drag on HR and SLG categories.

LD% — Line drive rate. High LD% hitters make consistent hard contact; line drives are the batted ball type most likely to fall for hits and boost batting average.

FB% — Fly ball rate. Elite power hitters combine high FB% with high exit velocity. High fly ball rate + soft contact = home run or nothing type.

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Year

Team

AVG

RBI

OBP

SLG

OPS

2025

Athletics

117

.290

.383

.619

1.002

2026

Athletics

.275

.415

.512

.927

Career

Totals

206

.284

152

151

.398

.573

.971

Year

Team

AVG

RBI

OBP

SLG

OPS

2024

2 teams▼

.368

.520

.763

1.283

2025

2 teams▼

.333

.400

.690

1.090

Career

Totals

.344

.440

.712

1.152