Nick Kurtz, a first baseman from Wake Forest and the Oakland Athletics’ second-ranked prospect, has made headlines with his return to the field in the Arizona Fall League. The A’s had highly regarded Kurtz throughout the 2024 MLB Draft process, ranking him at the top of their draft board until they selected him fourth overall. His impressive college statistics include walking more than striking out, with 189 walks compared to 130 strikeouts over three seasons.
However, his first game back on Saturday was unexpected. Kurtz struck out three times, which is unusual for him. This performance should not raise concerns about his abilities or progress; it simply highlights the rarity of such an event.
Kurtz returned from a hamstring injury and had not faced live pitching since August 24, two months prior. Before his injury, he had participated in only 12 minor league games since June. This lack of recent experience may have contributed to his struggles.
Research indicates that this was only the third time Kurtz has struck out three times in a game. The previous occurrences were in 2022 and 2024, both against Florida State.
In 2022, Ross Dunn, drafted in the tenth round by the Minnesota Twins, achieved 14 strikeouts against Wake Forest, with Kurtz striking out twice. Jamie Arnold was the pitcher who struck Kurtz out twice in 2024.
In each of these matches, a reliever was responsible for the third strikeout. In 2022, that was Davis Hare, who went undrafted that year but later signed with the San Francisco Giants. He was released in March 2024. In 2024, the third strikeout came from left-hander Brennen Oxford, who had played with Kurtz at Wake Forest before transferring to Florida State for the 2023 season. Oxford went undrafted in 2024 and signed with Staten Island in the Atlantic League, appearing in 12 games.
While it is rare for Kurtz to strike out three times in a single game, both previous instances occurred against Florida State. Notably, none of the three pitchers who struck him out on Saturday in the Arizona Fall League were from Florida State.
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