Nick Kurtz

[dsvitak]

Holy jeebus.

Four bombs, a single, and a double.

https://www.baseball-reference.com/r...d=kurtz-000nic

Dude's lifetime OPS, across all teams and leagues, is 1.177

982 lifetime at bats, with 98 bombs. He has hit EVERYWHERE.

Is this the ultimate player? As big as Stanton or Judge, but also a contact hitter?

Edit to add...ok. 28% strikeout rate is a little high, but with a .323 average, his BABIP must be insane.

[Westheim]

Give the league another two weeks and they'll figure him out.

I mean, he's on the map for sure now.

[Déjà Bru]

Aside from the four home runs,



Regarding those four homers, I like how three of them were to the opposite field. I'm no expert, but for some reason that strikes me of superior batsmanship, being able to hit to all fields rather than just pulling the ball.

[ezpkns34]

Originally Posted by dsvitak

Holy jeebus.

Four bombs, a single, and a double.

https://www.baseball-reference.com/r...d=kurtz-000nic

Dude's lifetime OPS, across all teams and leagues, is 1.177

982 lifetime at bats, with 98 bombs. He has hit EVERYWHERE.

Is this the ultimate player? As big as Stanton or Judge, but also a contact hitter?

Edit to add...ok. 28% strikeout rate is a little high, but with a .323 average, his BABIP must be insane.

I mean Judge is hitting .312 since 2022

[ezpkns34]

Originally Posted by Déjà Bru

Aside from the four home runs,

Attachment 1074379

Regarding those four homers, I like how three of them were to the opposite field. I'm no expert, but for some reason that strikes me of superior batsmanship, being able to hit to all fields rather than just pulling the ball.

His double would've been a homer in most parks too in left center

[OmahaBaseball]

This is something -- what a night for Kurtz. I just watched the condensed game recap, something pretty special. Love the fact that his Dad was there to see it happen.

https://baseball.theater/game/_/777007/Highlights

[Déjà Bru]

If you Google "baseball flashes in the pan", you can compile a list of names as shown below. These are players who, not just had a single good season and then disappeared (coffee cup players) but who actually showed the signs of greatness for a while, only to decline due to injury, or the league catching up with them, or maybe it was all a fluke and they were not that good to begin with. Here are ten names:

• Mark Fidyrch
• Eric Gagne
• Chase Headley
• Ubaldo Jimenez
• Tim Lincecum
• Kevin Maas
• Denny McLain
• Mark Prior
• Dontrelle Willis
• Kerry Wood

Will Nick Kurtz be on this list someday? Who knows. But it seems that whenever there is excitement like this over a new player, usually it all comes crashing back down to earth. The path to greatness is a slow grind over time, not a meteor streaking across the sky.

[ezpkns34]

Originally Posted by Déjà Bru

If you Google "baseball flashes in the pan", you can compile a list of names as shown below. These are players who, not just had a single good season and then disappeared (coffee cup players) but who actually showed the signs of greatness for a while, only to decline due to injury, or the league catching up with them, or maybe it was all a fluke and they were not that good to begin with. Here are ten names:

• Mark Fidyrch
• Eric Gagne
• Chase Headley
• Ubaldo Jimenez
• Tim Lincecum
• Kevin Maas
• Denny McLain
• Mark Prior
• Dontrelle Willis
• Kerry Wood

Will Nick Kurtz be on this list someday? Who knows. But it seems that whenever there is excitement like this over a new player, usually it all comes crashing back down to earth. The path to greatness is a slow grind over time, not a meteor streaking across the sky.

Gagne's "blip" was 4 seasons of sub‐2 ERA, which is a decent run for a reliever where volatility is the norm (though the 4th season was just 13 innings)

Are also many instances where it was longer lasting too and less flash‐in‐the‐pan, especially for a position player where the crushing injuries aren't as big a risk

[LD84]

Originally Posted by Déjà Bru

If you Google "baseball flashes in the pan", you can compile a list of names as shown below. These are players who, not just had a single good season and then disappeared (coffee cup players) but who actually showed the signs of greatness for a while, only to decline due to injury, or the league catching up with them, or maybe it was all a fluke and they were not that good to begin with. Here are ten names:

• Mark Fidyrch
• Eric Gagne
• Chase Headley
• Ubaldo Jimenez
• Tim Lincecum
• Kevin Maas
• Ubaldo Jimenez
• Mark Prior
• Dontrelle Willis
• Kerry Wood

Will Nick Kurtz be on this list someday? Who knows. But it seems that whenever there is excitement like this over a new player, usually it all comes crashing back down to earth. The path to greatness is a slow grind over time, not a meteor streaking across the sky.

I would take issue with some of these. Gagne as mentioned had a half decade run where he was one of the best relievers in baseball.

Lincecum was a back to back Cy Young winner.

If you went into every draft and could identify a 2x CY Young winner even if you were assured his career would fall off by age 30, that guy would go #1 overall pick every single time.

The same could be said for Denny McLain.


I am not going to guarantee the success of any athlete, things happen.
But Kurtz does have some things going for him that point to long term success.

High pedigree, he was a top 10 or top 5 HS player out of Chattanooga and maintained that all through HS.
He was highly sought after by D1 programs and then went to Wake Forest where he produced a nice college career.
This led to him being taken #4 overall
Then he has hit everywhere he has been in the minors.
No history of serious injury up to this point.

And he just turned 22 in late April.
I would say those are pretty good signs of future success.

[Amazin69]

Did he tie or break the single-game total base record?

Tarnished, of course, because the last bomb was off a position player (Cooper Hummel, a C/OF who was briefly a Met in the 2023/24 off-season…we acquired him, tried to waive him off of the 40-man, and the Braves grabbed him) and there would be a LOT more 4-HR games if every Kirk Nieuwenhuis who hit three got a chance against some lobbing slob the final AB. But still impressive. Look for West Sacramento to overspend on him once they get that sweet, sweet Ca$$$ino loot.

[monkeyman576]

Actually it can be HARDER to hit a home run off a position player sometimes if they are just lobbing it over and you are used to fastballs.

[Amazin69]

Having witnessed Kevin Plawecki (remember him?) help Anthony Rendon (remember him?) complete a 6-for-6 with a mere 3 HRs, I respectfully beg to differ.

[Westheim]

Originally Posted by Amazin69

Having witnessed Kevin Plawecki (remember him?) help Anthony Rendon (remember him?) complete a 6-for-6 with a mere 3 HRs, I respectfully beg to differ.

I remember Plawecki, and I wish I didn't remember THAT game.

Low-key liked Plawecki for a guy that couldn't hit a lick, and who had nothing on Anthony Recker in terms of tush.