Athletics selected Wake Forest 1B Nick Kurtz with the No. 4 selection of the 2024 MLB Draft.
Kurtz came into the year considered one of the top prospects in the class prior to the year after getting on at a .527 on-base mark and slugging .784, and he put up similar numbers in 2024 with a .531 OBP and 763 slugging percentage. He’s one of the most patient hitters in the class after drawing 189 walks in his 164 career games with the Demon Deacons, and there’s plus power in his left-handed bat. The risk with Kurtz is that he’s athletically limited to first base, and while he should provide power and average, there won’t be many stolen bases in the foreseeable future. Kurtz offers risk because of the lack of positional value, but the power and ability to get on base obviously offers plenty of reward, too.