Yes, the Athletics sit in last place, but there are bright spots on this team. They only sit three games out of first place, which isn’t horrible and somehow the AL West remains to be a close race. The A’s have talent on the roster, but have talent in the pipeline waiting to be brought up. It is only a matter of time before his impending call up, but Nick Kurtz is ready and would be a massive boost to the A’s lineup.

Nick Kurtz Joining A’s Would Be Enormous

It is not to say the Athletics are poor offensively, but a boost would be huge for them. They sit 13th in runs scored, but do sit tenth in average, 13th in OBP, and are 11th as a team in OPS. It is right around being middle of the pack, so getting any form of a boost would be huge. Nick Kurtz has been a menace in Triple-A and is knocking on the door to being called up to the big leagues.

Last season he spent in A and AA and performed quite well overall in the system. Kurtz finished the 2024 campaign hitting .368 with a 1.283 OPS. Also, he hit four home runs and drove in 13. Quite the player they have on their hands. Immediately, the A’s have him starting in Triple-A and oh boy is he not only replicating last years production, but doing things better in this regard.

Kurtz has been a menace in Triple-A. In just 57 at bats, he is hitting .386 and has a 1.277 OPS. It’s early, but it’s already neck and neck with last years production. Furthermore, he has already hit more home runs (7) and has driven in more runs as well (21). His exit velocity is eye opening, as he has hit nine balls that have exceeded 105 MPH off the bat. Kurtz is a special player and his bat would play well, especially in that Sacramento ballpark that has been very hitter friendly to begin the season.

What Kurtz also does is play first base. He would be huge in that regard, but he could also spend time at either another position or possibly designated hitter, just to make room for him on the roster. Kurtz has been huge to begin the season and is showing why he would be worthy of a call up.

Athletics Would be Deeper and Better

Kurtz would be joining a nice core that’s established in Sacramento. Lawrence Butler is an absolute stud and Brent Rooker is a machine at the plate. Rooker is hitting .200 and with an OPS below .700, but you know what you’ll get with him. The biggest blessing is first baseman Tyler Soderstrom. Soderstrom is enjoying a massive start to the season, hitting .321 and with a 1.075 OPS.

To fit Kurtz into the fold, moving Rooker to the outfield and putting Kurtz at DH makes so much sense, at least for the time being. Players are so versatile these days that you can almost fit a player on the roster and get creative if you need to.

The A’s have been fun to watch and will be fun for years to come. Kurtz is going to be a major boost and will make the team much better as a whole.