Athletics first baseman Nick Kurtz has been named the 2025 American League Rookie of the 12 months, the Baseball Writers Affiliation of America introduced. His teammate Jacob Wilson completed second and Roman Anthony of the Boston Red Sox completed third within the voting.
Kurtz, who was the unanimous alternative for the award, can be retroactively awarded a full 12 months of service time by ending within the prime two of the voting. The complete voting outcomes may be found here.
Kurtz was the fourth general decide of the 2024 draft and got here into 2025 as one of many prime prospects within the league. He didn’t break camp with the membership however was referred to as up on April 23. Virtually instantly, he began exhibiting his expertise for crushing the ball. On account of his late call-up and a short injured checklist stint for a strained left hip flexor, he solely obtained into 117 video games, however that was nonetheless sufficient time for him to place the ball over the fence 36 occasions.
It wasn’t an ideal season, as Kurtz struck out at a excessive 30.9% price. Nonetheless, his 12.9% stroll price was fairly sturdy. When mixed along with his aforementioned energy, it was a really productive season. His .290/.383/.619 slash line translated to a wRC+ of 170. Amongst hitters with a minimum of 20 plate appearances this 12 months, solely Aaron Choose and Shohei Ohtani topped that wRC+ quantity.
It’s spectacular that Kurtz did a lot regardless of not even enjoying a full season. His late call-up additionally has notable implications for him and the membership. The latest collective bargaining settlement included measures to discourage service time manipulation. If a group promotes a prime prospect early sufficient in a season for him to earn a full service 12 months, the group can earn an additional draft decide if the participant meets sure awards voting standards, through the Prospect Promotion Incentive. On the flip aspect, if a participant is just not promoted early sufficient for a full service 12 months after which goes on to complete within the prime two of Rookie of the 12 months voting in his league, then he’s retroactively credited with a full service 12 months.
Kurtz got here into the 12 months as a consensus prime 100 prospect in baseball, that means he would have been PPI-eligible this 12 months if the A’s had referred to as him up earlier. He solely obtained 159 days of service, 13 shy of the 172 wanted for a full season. If he have been PPI-eligible, this award win would have netted them an additional draft decide in 2026. Since they didn’t name him up early sufficient and Kurtz completed within the prime two of the voting, he’ll get a full 12 months of service anyway. That reduces the membership’s window of management over Kurtz from six years to 5, that means he’s now on tempo to succeed in free company after 2030 as an alternative of 2031.
Wilson is Kurtz’s teammate however the two are polar opposites in the case of their offensive profiles. Whereas Kurtz strikes out loads but in addition attracts walks and has big energy, Wilson has modest energy and infrequently walks however virtually by no means strikes out. His 7.5% strikeout price this 12 months was the second-lowest amongst certified hitters, trailing solely Luis Arráez. Wilson solely hit 13 house runs and drew a stroll in simply 5.2% of his plate appearances, however he nonetheless managed to hit .311/.355/.444 for a 121 wRC+ whereas enjoying the premium place of shortstop, even when his protection wasn’t extremely rated.
The shortstop truly obtained promoted in July 2024 however he landed on the injured checklist and missed sufficient time to nonetheless have rookie standing coming into 2025. Regardless of having rookie standing, he wouldn’t have earned the A’s a PPI decide even when he had completed first within the voting. Gamers are ineligible for the PPI bonus if they’ve a minimum of 60 days of service time. Wilson earned 73 days of service in 2024, a lot of it on the injured checklist, that means he was in a bizarre twilight zone of being rookie eligible however not PPI eligible.
Anthony got here into the 12 months not solely as a prime 100 prospect however most rankings had him first or second within the league. Nonetheless, the Pink Sox had a crowded outfield combine that was troublesome for him to interrupt into. Ultimately, accidents opened a path and he lastly obtained the decision in June. By August, he had impressed the Sox sufficient that they signed him to an eight-year, $130M extension.
Although he solely obtained into 71 video games, Anthony slashed .292/.396/.463 for a 140 wRC+ and stole 4 bases. He was credited with seven Defensive Runs Saved and 6 Outs Above Common. FanGraphs credited him with 2.7 wins above substitute in lower than half a season. He would have pushed these numbers even additional if not for an indirect damage sending him to the IL in early September.
Anthony solely obtained 112 service days this 12 months. He would have earned a full 12 months if he had cracked second place within the voting, although that’s largely a moot level along with his extension. Nonetheless, the consequence does impression him financially when wanting on the particulars of his pact. The deal comprises a lot of escalators which Anthony can unlock through awards voting. Some extra cash may have been tacked on with a prime two end however this third-place end isn’t sufficient for him so as to add something to the $130M whole. He can nonetheless push that up sooner or later by getting MVP votes.
