A’s top pick in ’24, 1B Nick Kurtz, likely to debut Wednesday

WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Nick Kurtz was sleeping in when he got the call he was being promoted to the Athletics.

“Half asleep, so I was like a little bit of a dream,” Kurtz said Tuesday, a day after receiving news of the call-up.

A first baseman from Wake Forest, Kurtz was selected fourth overall in last year’s amateur draft and signed for a $7 million bonus. The A’s are expected to select his contract to the big league roster ahead of Wednesday night’s game against Texas.

Kurtz would become the third player from the 2024 draft to debut after Houston outfielder Cam Smith and Los Angeles Angels right-hander Ryan Johnson, who both were on opening-day rosters. Smith was the 14th overall pick and Johnson 74th.

Kurtz started last August with seven games at Class A Stockton and was promoted to Double-A Midland for five games. Kurtz hit .321 with seven homers, 24 RBI and 10 walks in 20 games this season for Triple-A Las Vegas.

He took batting practice with the A’s on Tuesday, hitting a drive over the center field batter’s eye.

“Nick getting his feet on the ground today here. I think it’s exciting to have a prospect of his caliber here,” A’s manager Mark Kotsay said before BP.

Kurtz’s debut was pushed back to Wednesday because left-hander Patrick Corbin was starting for Texas on Tuesday night. Kurtz was hitting .296 against lefties this season and .333 against righties.

He is 6 feet 5, 240 pounds, a physique Kotsay said reminded him a little bit of Adam Dunn.

“He’s a pretty accomplished young hitter and he’s got an advanced approach. As David talked about, the demeanor, he’s a pretty even-keeled kid,” Kotsay said, referring to general manager David Forst.

With Kurtz at first, Tyler Soderstrom could see time in left field and at designated hitter.

Kotsay spoke to Soderstrom in spring training about being ready to be a backup catcher.

“It’s not, like David said, every day you ask one your better hitters to make a position move during the season but Tyler is fully open to doing to do that,” Kotsay said. “Our opportunity to get what we see as a future impact bat in the lineup right now and to able to give him an opportunity to go out and perform, things have to happen.”

Kurtz’s 2024 season was cut short by a hamstring injury, He played 13 games in the Arizona Fall League.

“I was taking classes less than 12 months ago,” Kurtz said, referring to Wake Forest. “It won’t feel super real until I step on that field. again, for the national anthem or for my first at-bat, where it’s like, OK, I’m here now. It’s time to go.”