Kurtz, 22, earned 30 first-place votes after hitting .290 with 36 home runs and 86 RBIs. His 1.002 OPS ranked third in MLB behind Aaron Judge and Shohei Ohtani, though he fell short of qualifying for the batting title due to being called up in late April.
Despite the later start, Kurtz ranked 25th (4.6) in fWAR in 2025. His signature game came against the Houston Astros on July 25 when he hit four home runs, becoming just the 20th player all-time to go deep four times in a single game.
“It’s a great ending to the first year,” Kurtz said in his interview with MLB Network after the award was announced. “I’m going to use this, and keep on grinding, and come out better next year.”
Later in the season, Kurtz also had a two-homer game against the Astros, as well. He finished first among rookies in home runs and RBIs, second in on-base percentage and third in hits. Kurtz finished ahead of teammate Jacob Wilson, who earned 23 second-place votes, while Boston Red Sox outfielder Roman Anthony finished in third place.
“It’s about getting comfortable and not just as a player, but being someone in the big leagues,” Kurtz said of his rookie season, in totality. “It comes with a lot of different stuff, and you have to learn about yourself and the game.”
Twelve other American Leaguers received votes including Kansas City Royals pitcher Noah Cameron and Chicago White Sox shortstop Colson Montgomery who finished fourth and fifth, respectively.
Under rules implemented in the current CBA, Kurtz receives a full year of service time for winning the award though the Athletics will not receive an extra draft pick, given he wasn’t on the major leaguer roster for at least 172 days.
Read more on ESPN.com (Insider)
