At 22 years old and with just 65 MLB games under his belt, Oakland Athletics starter Nick Kurtz has officially made history: he became the first rookie ever to hit four home runs in a game, an unprecedented feat for a major league debutant.
Battle in Oakland’s Living Room
This bizarre game wasn’t just a personal brilliance. It was a statement of strength and confidence from Kurtz, a player born to shine:
He had a total of 19 home runs in his first 65 games, along with 17 doubles and 2 triples — a performance level not seen in MLB since 1901.
That puts him at nearly 38 extra-base hits in 65 games, a new A’s all-time record.
Road to a famous turning point
Nick Kurtz is more than just a home run machine — his evolution is evident with each game:
Since the All-Star break, Kurtz has posted a 1.190 OPS and .327 batting average in his last 42 games, with 18 home runs in that span — a MLB-leading 18.
He’s also been impressive: 7-for-12, 1 HR, 4 doubles, 1 triple, and 4 RBI for the week — all thanks to his recent form — earning Kurtz AL Player of the Week honors.
The Timeless Significance of the Milestone
Hitting a home run is hard enough — but four on the first day of an MLB career — that’s extraordinary:
Before Kurtz, MLB history had seen 19 players hit four HRs in a game, from Bobby Lowe (1894), Ed Delahanty (1896), Chuck Klein (1932), Bob Horner (1986) to Eugenio Suárez most recently (2025).
However, none of them — no matter how famous — did it in their first official game. And Kurtz broke all those boundaries.
A Promising Future Ahead
From an outlier in MLB history, Kurtz is now the clear favorite to win AL Rookie of the Year, standing neck-and-neck with teammate Jacob Wilson in the A’s internal battle.
His achievement has not only pleased the experts but also made the fans admire: “Big Amish” is creating an effect that has not been seen since entering MLB.
Nick Kurtz has just achieved one of the rarest feats in baseball history — a feat that is not just a hit, but a declaration of a future superstar. When the first Rookie does something that no one has done before, all eyes will be on: will he continue to conquer, or is he just getting started?