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The Herald Scotland
3 days ago
- Sport
- The Herald Scotland
Athletics' Nick Kurtz making MLB history just a year after college
It'd be obvious if that ah-ha sequence came July 25, when Kurtz became the first rookie in major league history to hit four home runs in a game, a 6-for-6 night in which he also tied the major league record with 19 total bases. Or perhaps by month's end, when Kurtz had tallied 25 extra-base hits, one shy of Hall of Famer Jimmie Foxx's franchise record set in 1932, earning him American League rookie and player of the month honors. For Brent Rooker, though, the jaw dropped for good over two nights in June, when his young teammate's greatest attributes - the gorgeous swing, the inner calm, the prodigious power - came together in a manner that turns bad ballclubs good. The Athletics - housed in Sacramento for the moment - might have been swept in four games by the Houston Astros if not for Kurtz. He hit a pair of walk-off home runs in that four-game series, coming off Astros relief aces Bryan Abreu and Josh Hader, moonshots that sent thousands of fans gleefully into the Yolo County night. "He was good before that," Rooker, the A's two-time All-Star outfielder, tells USA TODAY Sports, "but everybody realized how good he could be. Those were two of the better relievers in the entire league. He had great at-bats against them in crucial situations and hit two home runs to win two games. "As impressive as he was prior to that, those two nights kind of shined a light on how special he is." How special? Special enough to debut April 23 yet still post 23 homers by early August, to go along with a .307 average, 1.035 ERA and 61 RBIs, leading all rookies. Special enough to mark that epic four-homer night in Houston (the kid doesn't like the Astros, it seems) not as an apex but rather the midpoint of a 20-game heater in which he batted .480 with nine homers and a 1.575 OPS. And special enough to earn the esteem of a young yet salty clubhouse with his quiet yet significant presence. "The joy of all of it," says A's manager Mark Kotsay, "is the humility that he shows day in and day out." 'They fly through the minor leagues' It would be easy for Kurtz to carry the traits of an entitled young baseball bro. In short, he's always been elite, even after he left the snowy climes of Lancaster, Pennsylvania in search of greater competition. Kurtz made enough of a splash to earn a spot on Team USA's 12-and-under team in 2015, a squad that won eight of nine games to claim a WBSC World Cup title in Taiwan. Kurtz was a slugger and also the top pitcher on that team, but it was as much networking opportunity as it was youth baseball nirvana. A handful of teammates went on to attend Baylor School, a college prep boarding school and hothouse for baseball development in Tennessee. As Kurtz schlepped through the uncertain weather patterns of Central Pennsylvania in spring, his pals' recruiting efforts finally paid off. "I was playing in the snow and bad weather in Pennsylvania," says Kurtz, "so I decided maybe going south was the best thing for me as a player. It just kind of worked out that way." And what a squad. Christian Moore went on to star at Tennessee and was chosen four slots behind Kurtz in the 2024 draft; he also made his major league debut this season, for the Los Angeles Angels. Infielder Henry Godbout went on to Virginia, was drafted in the second round in July and signed with the Boston Red Sox. In his junior year, Kurtz said, almost the entire lineup was committed to Atlantic Coast or Southeastern conference schools. Kurtz went to Wake Forest, a school better known for its "pitching lab," yet whose rep for churning out sluggers is about to grow significantly. It was there that Kurtz, under associate head coach Bill Cilento and assistant Matthew Wessinger, took both his mechanics and approach to a higher level. "That's stayed true from my freshman year in college," says Kurtz, "to where I am today." By his junior year, Kurtz's statistics were predictably video game variety - a .531 on-base percentage and 22 homers in 54 games, and the A's snagged Kurtz fourth overall, two picks after teammate Chase Burns, a right-handed pitcher, was selected by Cincinnati. Yet consider this: Barely a year later, Kurtz has already hit one more home run in the big leagues (in just 75 games) than he did his senior season at Wake Forest. How has Kurtz made the game's highest level seem as simple as a weekend series at Duke? He points to the A's most recent draft pick - left-hander Jamie Arnold, chosen 11th overall out of Florida State - as an example of how the college game is, perhaps more than ever, an express lane to prepare young players for the big leagues. "You see more and more guys getting called up earlier than you've ever seen before," says Kurtz. "More kids, very talented guys are going to college, especially with NIL - more guys are getting to school. "We picked Jamie Arnold this year. I faced him many times and that's as pro-ready an arm I've seen. I think he's one of the best. Every school in the SEC, ACC, they might have a guy or two like that. "The advancements we've made internally at the school have prepared all of us." The A's will certainly vouch for that. Kurtz is now the overwhelming favorite to earn AL Rookie of the Year honors, but until he suffered a fractured forearm, A's shortstop Jacob Wilson - drafted in 2023, debuted in 2024, an All-Star in 2025 - was the choice. "Those guys, it seems like they fly through the minor leagues and are ready to compete at the big league level," says A's catcher Shea Langeliers, drafted ninth overall out of Baylor by Atlanta in 2019. "The college game is advancing and those kids are more mature. "The talent level is getting closer to the minor league level, so you're almost playing minor league baseball in college." A big week for 'Big Amish' Yet Kurtz, Langeliers says, is different. "Seeing him for the first time in spring training, being around him, thinking of when I was 22, compared to where he's at at 22, it's just a massive difference," he says. "Maturity-wise, how he sees the game, how quickly he's adaptable and adjustable, it's been really impressive." Kotsay, in his fourth season as A's manager, hints at an extremely high ceiling for Kurtz based on the dispatch with which he adjusts to pitchers. Kurtz's 11.4% walk rate is well above average, but as he matures as a hitter, he should cut into a 29.4% K rate. "It's really eye-opening to see a young player make adjustments almost pitch-to-pitch in an at-bat, and he's got that ability, which is really special," says Kotsay. "When we talk about classifying big league hitters, I always say, guys in the Hall of Fame make adjustments pitch-to-pitch. "Guys that are All-Stars make adjustments at-bat to at-bat, and guys that are everyday players, it can be a game or a series before the adjustment's made. "I think he's leaning on that top one - where he's got a knack to make an adjustment pitch-to-pitch." Kurtz is enjoying a big week in the Mid-Atlantic - he had roughly 40 family and friends roll down from Lancaster to Nationals Park; and no, despite Kurtz's "Big Amish" nickname teammates bestowed upon him, they did not travel by horse and buggy. A larger throng is expected this weekend at Baltimore's Camden Yards, where Kurtz attended countless games as a kid. Success came quickly then and, somehow, it's coming even faster now. "I would say I'm a little shocked, surprised," says Kurtz. "I knew I was a good hitter, but having a really good rookie year is pretty cool to see." And there's still two more months for Kurtz to expand what seems to be a limitless horizon.
Yahoo
05-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Juan Soto Earns 3-Word Nickname From MLB During Yankees Game
Juan Soto Earns 3-Word Nickname From MLB During Yankees Game originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Thursday night's 3-2 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers got its first spark from Juan Soto, who lined a ground-ball single into right field in the bottom of the sixth inning to put the Mets ahead 2-1. It was a fitting microcosm of Soto's recent play. Advertisement For his efforts in June, the 26-year-old was named the National League Player of the Month after a torrid stretch at the plate. Across 116 plate appearances, Soto slashed an eye-popping .322/.474/.722, belting 11 homers and driving in 20 runs while drawing 25 walks against just 20 strikeouts. He also scored 25 times, becoming the first Met since David Wright in August 2007 to record at least 25 hits and 25 walks in a single calendar month. New York Mets right fielder Juan Soto (22)Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images Staying hot in July, Soto looks like a different player than the one who started his Mets tenure in a slump. This was evident on Friday, fittingly against his former team. Advertisement After the New York Yankees opened the Subway Series with two home runs in the first inning, one of which came off the bat of Aaron Judge, Soto tied the game with a two-run shot of his own. This swing earned Soto a new nickname from MLB: Subway Series Soto. Soto's power surge in June included two multi-homer games, bringing his career total of multi-dinger performances to 27—surpassing Jimmie Foxx for the most by any player before turning 27. His overall OPS climbed from .770 at the end of May to a robust .900 by month's end, and his slugging percentage jumped from .413 to .507. He's the second Met this season to earn Player of the Month honors, joining Pete Alonso (April), and just the second pair of Mets in franchise history to achieve that feat in the same campaign—the other coming in 1985 with Gary Carter and Keith Hernandez. Advertisement Related: Brewers Make Christian Yelich Decision Before Mets Game Related: Mets Star Name Drops Jacob deGrom After Brewers Game This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 4, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
28-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Dodgers' Max Muncy Matches a Record Set by Jimmie Foxx in 1938
Dodgers' Max Muncy Matches a Record Set by Jimmie Foxx in 1938 originally appeared on Athlon Sports. As of Wednesday, Los Angeles Dodgers third baseman Max Muncy has notched a series of impressive feats that have snowballed into one accomplishment so rare, it has only been done once in an MLB season. While it took a Hall-of-Famer the course of an entire season to do it, Muncy did it in under a month. Advertisement In a post on X, OptaSTATS pointed out that since May 31, Muncy had recorded three games of 6+ RBIs, three multi-home run games, two games with 7+ RBIs, two games with multiple home runs of the 3-run or more variety, and two grand slams. OptaSTATS noted that, 'The only other player in MLB history to do all of that over an entire season was Jimmie Foxx during his 1938 MVP campaign.' Hitting .250/.375/.454 with 12 home runs, chances are Muncy won't be an MVP this year, but since donning prescription eyewear on April 30, we have seen a new Muncy (and not the one with the A's). Prior to his eyesight revelation, Muncy was hitting .180 with no home runs. In the month of June alone, Muncy is hitting .328/.459/.642 with six home runs entering Friday's bout against the Royals. Los Angeles Dodgers third baseman Max Muncy (13) looks on during batting practice before a game against the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Aiken-Imagn Images In the blink of a perfectly seeing eye, Muncy's bat exploded, and all trade rumors replacing him have ceased. A hot streak such as this isn't too uncommon for Muncy, who often has experienced hot and cold streaks. Whether he can sustain his torrid pace with his newfound eyesight or not remains to be seen, but every Dodgers fan can truly appreciate the history he has made since the end of May. Advertisement Related: Bold Trade Idea Sends Emmanuel Clase to Dodgers Related: Joe Kelly Pledges Loyalty to Dodgers if MLB Teams Come Calling This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 28, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
26-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Juan Soto Makes ‘Emotional' Admission After Mets' Win Over Braves
Juan Soto Makes 'Emotional' Admission After Mets' Win Over Braves originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The New York Mets were 1-10 in their last 11 games before Wednesday night's bout with the Atlanta Braves, and they desperately needed a spark. Luckily for them, they have a generational hitter in Juan Soto. Advertisement The 26-year-old went 2-for-4 with two solo homers in New York's 7-3 win. He now has five home runs in his last five games and leads the team with 19 this year. Soto struggled to start the season, as he slashed .232/.347/.354 in April and .219/.345/.448 in May, but is now slashing .325/.485/.753 in June. The former World Series champion revealed how he felt hitting his second homer on Wednesday, via SNY. New York Mets outfielder Juan Soto (22)Credit: John Jones-Imagn Images "I knew what I was chasing in the at-bat, so when I see the ball going I felt really emotional right there," he said. "Definitely still [prioritized] winning the game, helping the team to keep increasing the lead." Advertisement "But when you look back at what I did and what I've been doing this past years, it's really special for me," he continued. Soto's second blast gave him his 27th career multi-homer game, which is the most such contests of any player before turning 27. He passed Hall of Famer Jimmie Foxx for the record. New York is now a half-game behind the Philadelphia Phillies atop the NL East and is two games ahead of the Milwaukee Brewers for the first Wild Card spot. Right-handed pitcher Griffin Canning (7-3, 3.91 ERA) will start for the Mets on Thursday against Braves right-hander Grant Holmes (4-6, 3.71 ERA). Advertisement Related: Mets Receive Good News After Third Straight Loss Related: Francisco Lindor Makes Honest Statement After Mets' Loss to Braves This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 26, 2025, where it first appeared.
Fox Sports
26-06-2025
- Sport
- Fox Sports
Last Night in Baseball: Juan Soto Makes History, Again
There is always baseball happening — almost too much baseball for one person to handle themselves. That's why we're here to help, though, by sifting through the previous days' games, and figuring out what you missed, but shouldn't have. Here are all the best moments from last night in Major League Baseball: Soto is historically great once more Sometimes it's easy to forget – because of the fact that he's signed to the largest contract in pro sports – that Juan Soto is still just in his mid-20s. He's in his eighth season in the majors, sure, but he showed up on the Nationals as a 19-year-old, and made an immediate impact by batting .292/.406/.517 in 116 games. Because of this head start – and because Soto hit the ground running in a way that few 19-year-old players MLB ever have – the Mets' slugger makes history from time to time, history related to those facts. Just last week, he reached 1,000 career hits before turning 27, making him one of just 84 players to do so out of the 1,342 who have made it to 1,000 base knocks in their careers. And on Wednesday night against the Braves, Soto managed something a little less round-number-notable but even more impressive in some ways: He now has the most multi-homer games before age-27 of any player ever, passing Hall of Famer Jimmie Foxx. The number of multi-homer games? Also 27. Pretty much anything you can pass Jimmie Foxx in – especially when it's about what he did in his 20s – is worth celebrating. Foxx entered MLB at 17, though he didn't get a full-time job with the Philadelphia Athletics until he was 20. Before he turned 27, he hit 302 homers, drove in 1,075 runs, batted .339/.440/.640 and posted a 175 OPS+. That's an entire career, and a damn good one, too, all before he turned 27. Soto, similarly, has already had an entire career. He's at 39.9 wins above replacement by Baseball-Reference's accounting, has played in 1,016 games, logged 4,444 plate appearances, has hit 220 homers and 428 extra-base hits overall, has 835 career walks to go with the 1,007 hits, and is batting .282/.419/.530 – that on-base percentage makes him the active leader among players. Again: Soto is 26 years old. He won't turn 27 until the 2025 World Series is on your television (only on FOX!). He is, presumably, entering his prime years, but even if he falls off a little bit after his early success like Foxx did… well, Jimmie Foxx's second career arc included hitting .320/.429/.605 for the Red Sox for eight years, producing another 32 wins above replacement and 222 more homers. That wouldn't be a bad place to be, and nothing says Soto is going to follow suit, either. He might just keep being the Juan Soto he is right now, or even a little better – a terrifying thought for everyone facing the Mets for maybe the next decade or so. deGrom misses another shot at a no-hitter For all that Jacob deGrom has accomplished on the mound in his stellar career, one thing he's never managed is a no-hitter. On Wednesday against the Orioles, he got oh-so-close: deGrom was even outright perfect until the seventh inning, when he walked Jackson Holliday to lead off the frame. Despite walking another batter and setting up a precarious situation for himself and the Rangers, deGrom got out of the seventh without allowing a hit. However, leading off the eighth inning, the veteran righty gave up a single to Colton Cowser, ending the perfect game and his start. Still, there's good news here. deGrom hasn't been healthy in some time, and managed a single season's worth of starts and innings between 2021 and 2024 because of it. Incredible innings, where he posted a 2.01 ERA and struck out 307 batters over 197.1 of them, but still not much in the way of workload. In 2025, the 38-year-old has taken a bit off of his fastball to try to keep himself on the mound, and the results speak for themselves: through 16 starts and 95.1 innings — both highs for deGrom since 2019 — he has a 2.08 ERA and 180 ERA+, while still striking out just shy of a batter per inning. A big night for J-Ram José Ramírez has a real shot to be the greatest player in Guardians history if he keeps it up, and nights like Wednesday's are a reminder of that. Simply by taking the field, Ramírez moved to fourth all-time for the Guardians in games played with 1,527, passing Jim Tregan. Ramirez did more than just show up for work, though. He also drove in a pair of runs against the Blue Jays, including the game winner in the bottom of the 10th inning: Things have not been going great for the Red Sox since they traded Rafael Devers. They won their first game after the swap, but are just 3-6 overall since, with the latest L coming against the Angels, dropping them another game under .500 on the season. The Angels tied things up early with back-to-back homers by Jo Adell and Travis d'Arnaud: It was the performance of starting pitcher Yusei Kikuchi that won the game for the Angels, however, as he struck out a season-high 12 batters over seven innings, in which he limited the Sox to a pair of runs, three hits, and one walk. Both those runs were unearned, too. The Angels are now 40-40, with it still being unclear if they're any good or not. The Red Sox are 40-42, and it's also unclear if they're any good or not, but the mood surrounding that question is a lot different in Boston than it is in Orange County at the moment. Misiorowski's hot start continues Flamethrowing rookie Jacob Misiorowski had his third start for the Brewers on Wednesday, and it was a highly anticipated one, since it came against the Pirates' young ace, Paul Skenes. One of the two pitchers was up to the task, and it wasn't the comparative vet: Skenes gave up four runs in four innings, a rare downer of a performance from him. Misiorowski, though, struck out eight batters over five innings, limiting the Pirates to just two hits, two walks, and no runs. The Brewers would win, 3-0 – for once, maybe we can give the Bucs a break over the lack of run support for Skenes, given Misiorowski was out there whipping fireballs left and right like he's a powered-up Mario. Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account , and follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily! 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