Opinion: Where will Nick Kurtz fit on the Athletics roster

It is common for most baseball teams to call up some of their highly talented prospects over the course of the season in order to provide something new they do not already have or to replace something that is not working.

In the case of the Athletics, they have found themselves in an interesting situation, one they will need to solve quickly if they want to call up their number one prospect.

First baseman Nick Kurtz has been on fire in the minor leagues, posting a .329 batting average with seven home runs and 22 RBIs.

With the way he is hitting, you would think he would be a guaranteed call up at some point in the future.

The only problem is that both first base and the designated hitter roles on the team are filled by the clubs two best players as of now, Tyler Soderstrom and Brent Rooker respectively.

Soderstrom has been electric for the Athletics in 2025, batting .315 with 18 RBIs and has a league leading nine home runs.

The 23-year-old is on pace to have the best year of his career and surpass his season highs in all major stat categories.

He could even see his first all star appearance if he keeps this up throughout the remainder of the first half of the season.

Rooker on the other hand has made a name for himself for the franchise since he joined in 2023. He has been named an All-Star and Silver Slugger while becoming a fan favorite and is consistently one the best hitters in the Athletics lineup.

His lack of defensive ability but hot bat has landed him as the everyday designated hitter, with him already having five home runs and 10 RBIs of his own in 2025.

With these two solidified in the everyday lineup for the foreseeable future, the question remains where will Kurtz play?

The most probable solution is that Kurtz or even Rooker will play in leftfield. I would lean towards the idea of Rooker playing out there to start however just because he has major league experience at the position from the beginning of his career.

Rooker has already seen time in the outfield this season in preparation for the top prospects debut, meaning we could see Kurtz get called up very soon.

The season is still young and the A’s are sitting at 8-10, meaning the move may provide a necessary spark that could propel the team to having their first winning record season since 2021.

Of course it is still too soon to tell, as we do not even know if Kurtz will pick up where he left off right when he gets to the major leagues.

It could take some time for him to find his footing, which should not worry many as there is plenty of season left with low expectations for the team as a whole.

Charles Wesolowski is a first-year majoring in journalism. To contact him, email cjw6772@psu.edu.