Family beams with pride as A’s top prospect makes MLB debut in West Sacramento
Nick Kurtz’s parents had only arrived home a few hours earlier from watching him play baseball in Las Vegas when they got the phone call to head north for another game, this time in West Sacramento.
His mother Marie was driving when she received the call Monday morning. She immediately started crying. Kurtz’s father Jeff picked up the phone while working on a real estate lease. He promptly closed his office door to let out the emotions.
“I didn’t know how to contain myself,” Jeff said.
For his parents, Kurtz’s major league debut with the A’s on Wednesday night was a culmination of more than two decades. Their son had seemed destined for the sport from when his two older brothers gifted him a baseball at birth.
“He had a glove on his hand by the time he could walk,” Marie said.
Kurtz grew up in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. At 4, Kurtz’s parents enrolled him in T-ball. By 12, he was playing for the USA 12-and-under national team.
“That’s when things took off,” Jeff said.
Kurtz went on to slug 61 home runs in college at Wake Forest and was selected fourth overall in last summer’s Major League Baseball draft. The Athletics have since boasted Kurtz as the team’s top prospect. He was listed as the No. 35 prospect in baseball and No. 3 at the first base position as of Wednesday by MLB.com.
The 22-year-old thrived in the minors, leading Minor League Baseball in home runs and tied for second in RBIs before he was called up.
In Wednesday’s 5-2 win over the Texas Rangers, Kurtz continued to show promise. He hit a ground ball single into center field and drove in a run during his first MLB at-bat in the bottom of the first inning.
From the stands, Kurtz’s longtime fans — including his girlfriend, siblings and former teammates — rose to cheer after the first hit. His father, who waved in the runner before celebrating, embraced his wife.
This time, they both shed tears.
‘I just got called up’
Kurtz finished the game 1-for-4 at the plate while playing first base and batting seventh for the Athletics.
But none of that mattered for his loved ones who arrived at Sutter Health Park more than three hours before game time.
They stood outside the ballpark exchanging stories on their travel to Sacramento and how they received the news of his promotion to the A’s.
His family had traveled from Lancaster. Others, including friends and past teammates from high school and Wake Forest, came from New York.
Each one had received what they called a “nonchalant” call or text from Kurtz on Monday morning.
Kurtz’s girlfriend Ally Eliea said the two spent some time chatting about her work before he mentioned that had received the promotion from the A’s.
“What did you just say?” Eliea recalled asking.
Danny Corona, a former teammate and longtime friend, said he merely got a text saying: “Bro, I just got called up.”
The two friends had known each other since middle school and were roommates in college. Corona’s favorite memory of Kurtz remains when the two played for the USA 12U national team in front of 11,000 people at Taiwan’s Tainan Stadium.
Kurtz was the starting pitcher and Corona closed out the game.
“He has overcome a lot of obstacles throughout high school and college,” Corona said. “He just kept running every single day, not letting it get to him. It’s truly been a blessing for us seeing him push through every day.”
Corona and another former teammate, Chris Campanella, bought No. 16 Kurtz jerseys within minutes of entering Sutter Health Park.
“I think they might be the first two ever made,” Campanella joked.
The two friends, alongside Kurtz’s family, spent much of their pregame activities watching the left-handed hitter practice his swing. He routinely sent shots deep into the outfield and over the fence.
That power is among the reasons for his short stint in the minors. In 32 games, he clubbed 11 home runs and batted .336 hitter with 37 RBIs. His MLB debut was the sixth-fastest in Athletics history, according to the team. Kurtz got the news Monday that he’d be called up, arrived in Sacramento on Tuesday to get acclimated to his new home ballpark and was then formally called up to the majors Wednesday.
Before the game, Kurtz smiled when asked his family and friends’ recollections of Monday morning. He said the “disbelief” was still setting in during his initial calls and texts. Even now, he struggles to describe what this moment means for him and his family.
“I can’t really put it into words,” Kurtz said. “It just feels like my whole life has been dedicated to this point so getting here is a pretty awesome feeling.”
A’s pick up third home win
The A’s scored early in Wednesday’s contest and held on for the win. Kurtz’s RBI single contributed to a four-run first inning.
Right fielder Lawrence Butler got the scoring started with a leadoff home run. Athletics catcher Shea Langeliers later added on with an RBI single before Kurtz came up to the plate. Gio Urshela then hit an RBI double.
In the second inning, the A’s added another run when shortstop Jacob Wilson walked with the bases loaded.
A’s starting pitcher JP Sears earned the win and improved to 3-2 on the season. Closing pitcher Mason Miller earned a save, his seventh this season. Miller allowed a double but struck out the side in a scoreless ninth inning.
The A’s improved to 11-13 on the season and 3-8 at Sutter Health Park. The team reported a paid attendance of 9,806. They’ll conclude the three-game series against the Rangers on Thursday, with a 7:05 p.m. start time.
