Reigning AL rookie of the year recalls time in Chattanooga with Red Raiders
From launching a 493-foot home run that was the longest in Major League Baseball's 2025 season — eight feet farther than the second-place shot by Los Angeles Angels star Mike Trout — to becoming the first rookie ever to hit four home runs in a game, Nick Kurtz produced one of the most riveting debut campaigns in MLB history last year.
On Friday night, the American League's reigning rookie of the year and fast-rising phenom first baseman for the Athletics returned to his old stomping grounds in Chattanooga at Baylor School, where Kurtz starred as a two-sport student-athlete for the Red Raiders just a few years ago.
While the 6-foot-5, 240-pound Kurtz became the eighth MLB rookie ever to hit 36 home runs in a season, he was also once an all-state standout on the basketball court and helped lead the Red Raiders to their most recent TSSAA state semifinals appearance in 2020, when he averaged 19 points and 9.3 rebounds per game during his junior season.
"Baylor is where my life kind of started," said the 22-year-old Kurtz, who was recently voted the 23rd-best player in all of baseball by MLB.com, one spot behind nine-time all-star first baseman Freddie Freeman of the Los Angeles Dodgers. "High school is a big stepping stone for the future. Not just as an athlete, but as a man and all-around person.
"Being back here tonight is really cool, especially being at the basketball court where I spent a lot of my time here. To come back here and see so many who played a big part in my life is special."
(READ MORE: Nick Kurtz, Baylor enjoy special senior night in shutout of McCallie)
From his MLB debut on April 23 on, Kurtz was the top first baseman in the majors in offensive production last year, as he led his position in home runs (36), runs scored (90), walk rate (12.9%), slugging percentage (.619), on-base percentage (.383), on-base plus slugging percentage (1.002), and wins above replacement value (4.6).
He also was the top first baseman with his rate of fly balls hit that were home runs (30.8%) and his rate of opposite-field hits (30.1%). Meanwhile, his OPS was third in the majors, trailing Aaron Judge of the New York Yankees and Shohei Ohtani of the Dodgers — the MVP winners in the AL and National League, respectively.
Kurtz also proved to be the Houston Astros' worst nightmare, as he hit two walk-off home runs against them in a series and also went 6-for-6 with four home runs, eight RBIs, six runs scored and an MLB record-tying 19 total bases in a 15-3 road win on June 25. He hit .500 with nine home runs against the Astros in 42 at-bats.
The former Wake Forest University star and fourth overall pick of the 2024 MLB draft also had the 11th-fastest average bat speed in the majors at 77.2 mph.
Kurtz thrived with an aggressive approach at the plate in his debut season, as he hit .477 with 16 homers when putting the first two pitches of an at-bat in play. He also destroyed right-handed pitchers with a .336 batting average, .439 on-base percentage and .714 slugging percentage against them while collecting 52 extra-base hits (including 27 homers) in 283 at-bats.
As the Pennsylvania native continues his ascent in the baseball universe, his Baylor family will follow every step along the way.
"Nick can command a box and crush the ball to all fields," Red Raiders baseball coach Greg Elie said. "His strike zone awareness is as good as anybody I have ever seen. The greatest thing about Nick is — as crazy talented as he is — he is the most even-keeled and chillest guy you will meet."
Contact Patrick MacCoon at pmaccoon@timesfreepress.com.
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