Kurtz grand slam is MLB’s longest home run of 2025. How far did A’s rookie hit it?
Mark McGwire and José Canseco were among the Athletics’ Hall of Fame inductees who were hanging out in the team’s clubhouse before Saturday’s game against the Cincinnati Reds.
So it’s fitting A’s rookie Nick Kurtz blasted a McGwire- and Canseco-like grand slam that registered as the longest home run hit in Major League Baseball this season.
“The impact on that baseball was one like I’ve seen with a couple guys that showed up today and were part of that Hall of Fame ceremony,” A’s manager Mark Kotsay said of the eighth-inning moon ball. “Canseco and McGwire used to hit balls like that — in a different era.”
Kotsay paused with a wry look on his face. His reference to the era of performance enhancing drugs of the 1990s and early 2000s drew laughter from media members in his postgame press conference. But it also suggested how impressed he was with Kurtz’s loud, 493-foot no-doubt shot that left his bat at 114.6 mph off a 2-2 fastball from Graham Ashcraft in Saturday night’s 11-5 victory.
“Nick’s not in that era,” Kotsay continued. “(It was) the longest home run in A’s history, I believe. So, it’s pretty impressive.”
Kurtz took the pitch just left of dead center field over the new batter’s eye that’s roughly 50 feet tall at Sutter Health Park toward the player’s parking lot. It turned a two-run game into a comfortable win over a team in the thick of the wild card playoff race in the National League.
“Hopefully my car is all right. I mean, my car was parked like right behind there,” said A’s starter Luis Severino. “... But he’s unbelievable. I can’t imagine anybody else going center field, 500 feet. That’s crazy. I’m really happy he’s on our team.”
Leadoff man Lawrence Butler was on second base at the time. His reaction to the home run was caught in a screen grab on a social media post that players were laughing about in the clubhouse afterwards.
“That was the farthest ball I’ve ever seen hit. Like, by far,” Butler said. “That’s crushed.”
Kurtz’s 31 home runs leads all MLB rookies. He also came into the game leading in RBIs, extra-base hits, runs and walks. He also leads all MLB hitters in OPS, on-base percentage and slugging since the All-Star break. He’s impressed his teammates with his ability to go deep to all fields. According to Baseball Savant, 21 of his 31 home runs have been hit to center or left-center field.
“It’s an anomaly,” Butler said. “He can hit it out no matter where you throw it. Up, down, in, out. You might as well just put him on first base. It’s insane what he’s doing.”
Butler joins exclusive club, Cortes homers again
Butler joined the 20-20 club after hitting his 20th home run on Friday. He came into the game with 17 stolen bases, and stole three in the third and fourth innings. He became the first A’s player with a 20-20 season since Coco Crisp in 2013, and the second A’s player to get there in 32 years.
“Legs were feeling pretty good,” Butler said. “I knew I needed three (stolen bases). I had gotten one, and I was like ‘I might as well try to get the rest of them.’”
Butler isn’t have quite as productive a season as his 2024 campaign that led to earning a seven-year, $65.5 million contract. He came into Saturday’s game with a .726 OPS which is down from .807. He’s dipped particularly against left-handed pitching.
“There are reasons why we invested in him,” Kotsay said. “He’s a dynamic player and he showed it tonight with three stolen bases. ... That says a lot about his season, even if it isn’t Lawrence’s best season, it’s still a really productive one.
Left fielder Carlos Cortes hit his third home run in two nights with a two-run shot in the second inning, in the 12th pitch of his at-bat. Brent Rooker added his 28th home run of the season earlier in the frame. All-Star shortstop Jacob Wilson had a pair of RBI doubles in the game.
The A’s have five players with 20 or more home runs: Shea Langeliers (30), Kurtz (31), Rooker and Tyler Soderstrom (24). It’s the eighth time in history the team has had five or more players reach 20 homers.
The A’s will look for a sweep of the Reds on Sunday. First pitch is slated for 1:05 p.m. with Luis Morales (3-1, 2.73 ERA) going against Reds lefty Nick Lodolo (8-7, 3.10).
This story was originally published September 13, 2025 at 11:33 PM.
