Oakland A's Select Wake Forest First Baseman with 4th Overall Pick in MLB Draft

Jason Burke | Jul 14, 2024

Jun 17, 2023; Omaha, NE, USA; Wake Forest Demon Deacons first baseman Nick Kurtz (8) celebrates after retiring Stanford Cardinal third baseman Tommy Troy (not pictured) to end the game at Charles Schwab Field Omaha. Mandatory Credit: Dylan Widger-USA TODAY Sports / Dylan Widger-USA TODAY Sports

WIth the fourth overall selection in the 2024 MLB Draft, the Oakland A's have taken Nick Kurtz out of Wake Forest. Just a few minutes before the Draft began, Jeff Ellis of Locked on Guardians (and noted Draft hound) tweeted that Cleveland was taking Travis Bazzana with the top overall pick, which ultimately led to the A's getting Kurtz, as we discussed earlier this month. There was some speculation the past few weeks that Cleveland could pass on Bazzana, saving a little money for later in the Draft, leaving him to slide a couple of spots to the A's. That is not what happened.

Kurtz is the No. 7 prospect on MLB Pipeline's Draft board and figures to rank among the A's top prospects, if not joining Jacob Wilson at the top as option 1A. The 21-year-old left-handed first baseman hit .333 with a .510 OBP and 61 homers in 164 games over three seasons in college, and was one of the best power bats available in the Draft.

One comp that was dropped during ESPN's Draft broadcast was that if everything works out for Kurtz, he could be a similar player to Anthony Rizzo.

Kurtz hit .306 with 22 home runs, 11 doubles, and 57 RBI for the Demon Deacons this season while also earning First Team All-ACC honors, and he led the country with 78 walks and just 42 strikeouts to go along with a .531 OBP in 2024.

Pipeline's scouting grades include a 60 hit tool, a 65 power, 40 for running, 50 with the arm, and 60 in the field. That leads to an overall 60-grade player, which should also make him a top-100 prospect in MLB when lists are updated following the Draft.

The A's choosing to select a first baseman with the fourth overall pick is an interesting decision, and obviously you don't draft for need, you draft a combination of talent and signability. However, JJ Wetherholt, the only player that has a chance to play shortstop among the top-ranked players, was still on the board at number four, and was the higher-ranked player on most draft boards.

The addition of Kurtz is a good pickup for the A's farm system overall, and he becomes a potential building block for the future in addition to Zack Gelof, Jacob Wilson, Tyler Soderstrom, and Lawrence Butler. The A's are building an interesting group of core players to build around as they head to Sacramento for the 2025 season.