In baseball, certain numbers are forever ingrained in history. For example, Babe Ruth’s 60, Joe DiMaggio’s 56, and Shawn Green’s unforgettable 19. These aren’t just stats; they’re folklore. But put these big names aside for a moment, because a rookie has now written a piece of the folklore. On Friday night in Houston, the Athletics’ first baseman Nick Kurtz etched his name into baseball immortality.
Names like Mike Schmidt and J.D. Martinez dominated the conversation when it came to single-game slugging brilliance. Then there’s Shawn Green. His 2002 explosion of 4 HRs and a record-setting 19 total bases stood as one of the game’s most jaw-dropping performances. Unbreakable record, we thought. But baseball lives to surprise.
Enter Kurtz, a fresh face in the A’s clubhouse. The 22-year-old became the first rookie in MLB history to hit four home runs in a single game. Not only did he join the rarefied company of four-HR hitters, but he also matched Green’s seemingly unmatchable record of 19 total bases in one game.
So, who is this kid? Where has he come from?
Who is Nick Kurtz? Why is he called Big Amish?
Kurtz, now 22, kicked off his baseball journey as a part of the USA 12U National Team that won gold at the 2015 World Cup. He later committed to Wake Forest University, where he quickly made a name for himself. Notably, as a freshman in 2022, he hit an impressive .338/.471/.637 with 15 HRs over 54 games, earning Freshman All-American honors. And guess what, that season marked the beginning of his rise in the baseball world.
Fast forward to 2024, and Kurtz had become one of the top prospects in the MLB Draft. The Athletics picked him fourth overall and signed him for $7 million. He wasted no time climbing the ranks, and after just 32 games in the minors, he got the call to the big leagues on April 21, 2025.
Ever since, he’s been making waves. He is currently hitting .305 and has already knocked 23 home runs this season. The fans call him Big Amish, but what does that mean? Well, the nickname comes from his hometown of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, an area known for its large Amish community.
A record breaker: First Rookie and 20th player to hit 4 Home Runs in a game
Nick Kurtz had a historic night for the Athletics on Friday. He launched his home runs in the 2nd, 6th, 8th, and 9th innings. And each against a different Astros pitcher. Ryan Gusto, Nick Hernandez, Kaleb Ort, and even outfielder Cooper Hummel, who came in to pitch late, all faced the wrath of Kurtz.
Eventually, Kurtz ended 6-for-6 with four homers, a double, and a single. But the highlight of the night was his biggest blast. A 414-foot solo shot in the 8th! He is the 20th player in big-league history to hit 4 homers in a single game.
“Unbelievable,” A’s pitcher Luis Severino said after the game. “It was a great night for him. He’s a great kid, and I feel like he’s going to be huge for us.”
Well, the performance also tied him with Shawn Green. They are the only two players ever to collect six hits in a four-homer game.
This is the second time this season a player has hit 4 homers, with the D-Backs’ Eugenio Suarez doing it in back April. And wait, there are more records broken here. At just 23 years old, Kurtz is now the youngest player ever to hit four homers in one game, breaking a record that had stood since 1948.
Stay tuned for more…
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