Nick Kurtz of the Oakland Athletics put on a historic display Friday night, becoming the first rookie in Major League Baseball (MLB) history to hit four home runs in a single game. The 22-year-old went 6-for-6 with 19 total bases in the Athletics' 15-3 win over the Houston Astros, tying an all-time MLB record.
In front of stunned Astros fans in Houston, Kurtz homered in the second, sixth, eighth, and ninth innings. He also doubled and singled, equaling the legendary 2002 performance of Shawn Green. The Athletics vs. Astros game instantly became one of the most talked-about matchups of the season, News.Az reports, citing ESPN.
Kurtz’s offensive explosion elevated his total to 23 home runs in 66 games, a remarkable feat for a rookie. No other MLB player has ever recorded four home runs in a game so early in their career. The Oakland A’s slugger made his debut on April 23 and hit his first home run on May 13.
Standing at 6-foot-5, Kurtz was selected fourth overall in last year’s MLB Draft out of Wake Forest, where Nick Kurtz’s college stats had already drawn national attention. He is now a frontrunner for American League Rookie of the Year, with his odds surging from -325 to -2500 following his monster game.
Manager Mark Kotsay called it “arguably the best game I’ve ever watched from a single player,” as Kurtz crushed pitches from four different Astros pitchers — including a late-game three-run blast off outfielder Cooper Hummel.
With 23 home runs and a 12-game hitting streak, Kurtz MLB stats for July alone are staggering. He leads the league in batting average (.425), slugging percentage (1.082), runs (22), RBIs (27), and doubles (13). Kurtz is now the youngest player in MLB history to hit four home runs in one game, breaking the record set in 1948.
The performance has sparked renewed interest in Nick Kurtz’s background, including trending searches like “Nick Kurtz Amish” — a reference to his clean-cut image and quiet demeanor off the field.
After the game, Kurtz signed a lineup card and scorecards for team broadcasters, with one bat and two home run balls headed to the Baseball Hall of Fame. Teammates could only laugh in disbelief.
“He’s not playing baseball. It’s like T-ball right now,” said A’s shortstop Jacob Wilson.
With the A's rising in AL West conversations and Nick Kurtz becoming a household name overnight, all eyes will be on Oakland’s rookie sensation as the season continues. For fans tracking most home runs in a game, Kurtz is now etched into the elite company of MLB’s all-time sluggers.
