Written by Gavin Sweeney
Sweeney is a local high school student and aspiring sports journalist.
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The MLB recently announced their Rookie of the Year winners for both the American League and National League. The NL winner was Drake Baldwin from the Atlanta Braves, while the AL honor went to Nick Kurtz of the Oakland Athletics.
That American League name sounds familiar, right? It’s because the 22-year-old Kurtz is from Lancaster County. He grew up in the area and attended Manheim Township High School for his freshman year before transferring to The Baylor School in Chattanooga, Tennessee, where he continued his baseball career through graduation.
Taking a look back at his early years, Kurtz was born on March 12, 2003, to Marie and Jeff Kurtz. He has two brothers and one sister. His love for baseball began when his parents enrolled him in tee-ball at just four years old — and from that point on, he never looked back.
Kurtz was drafted by the Athletics and called up to the big leagues this season. His nickname, “Big Amish,” was given by his teammates as a nod to his 6’5”, 240-pound frame and his Lancaster roots — a region known for its large Amish community.
He honors the region each time he hits a home run with a celebration that includes twirling his hands in a circular motion, paying homage to the Amish tradition of churning butter. (And before you ask — no, Kurtz isn’t Amish, though he did grow up around the community.)
Following a dominant high school career, Kurtz committed to Wake Forest University, where he continued to excel. He became team captain in 2024, set the school record for career walks (189), earned First Team All-ACC honors in both 2023 and 2024, and was named a Freshman All-American in 2022. Sounds like a promising start for a generational talent, right?
Absolutely. The 717-area baseball standout was selected by the Athletics with the 4th overall pick in the 2024 MLB Draft — and he wasted no time making his mark.
After tearing up the minor leagues, Kurtz was called up to the majors on April 23, 2025, making his debut against the Texas Rangers. You might be thinking, “Isn’t that a little late?” Technically, yes — but Kurtz had been sidelined earlier in the year with a strained left hip flexor. Even so, despite appearing in only 117 of 162 games, he still earned Rookie of the Year honors.
It wasn’t a perfect season. As a rookie, his strikeout rate sat at 30.9%, but his 12.9% walk rate was impressive and helped balance things out. Kurtz’s overall production was outstanding — he posted a .290/.383/.619 slash line with a wRC+ of 170. Among hitters with at least 20 plate appearances this season, only Aaron Judge and Shohei Ohtani topped that number. Judge and Ohtani, of course, are multiple-time MVPs and cover athletes for MLB The Show.
Kurtz hit 36 home runs, drove in 86 RBI, and posted a 1.002 OPS. He became just the eighth rookie since 1901 to record an OPS over 1.000 while making at least 400 plate appearances. One of his signature performances came on July 25th in Houston, when he became the youngest player in MLB history — and the first rookie — to hit four home runs in a single game. He went 6-for-6 with eight RBI, matching an MLB record with 19 total bases.
He is now the 14th unanimous selection for the AL Rookie of the Year Award and the second in A’s franchise history, joining Mark McGwire (1987).
“It’s a great honor that I’m going to put up with some of baseball’s greats who won the award,” Kurtz told the MLB Network following his big win. “It put some finishing touches on the year — to look back on it and enjoy what I’ve done a little bit.”
On top of his historic rookie campaign, Kurtz also took home the Silver Slugger Award.
What a year for the 22-year-old Lancaster native — leading all rookies in home runs, RBI, extra-base hits, runs, OPS, and slugging percentage, all while taking home two major awards.
A heck of a start for the young man — and sky-high expectations for what’s to come.
Photo Credit: Associated Press / David J. Phillip
Which MLB franchise has one of most Rookie of the Year Awards? For some baseball history check out this video:
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