Until Friday night, many baseball fans outside of the Athletics fan base or perhaps Wake Forest University’s baseball program didn’t know who Nick Kurtz was.

The left-handed slugger achieved baseball immortality by accomplishing one of the most storied feats in history. He hit four home runs in a game against the Houston Astros, becoming only the 20th major leaguer to do so. At age 22, the left-handed-hitting first baseman is also the youngest player and the first rookie to do it.

A three-time All-American at Wake Forest, Kurtz was selected by the Athletics in the first round of the 2024 MLB amateur draft. He was the fourth overall pick in the draft.

What makes his accomplishment even more amazing is that he had played in only 33 minor-league games (12 in 2024 and 21 this year) before making his major-league debut on April 23.

And Kurtz doesn’t appear to be a “flash in the pan” either. He’s currently slashing .309/.378/.683, with 23 home runs and 59 RBIs for the last-place Athletics. He’s making a strong case for being American League Rookie of the Year.

In addition to his four dingers, Kurtz also hit a single and a double in the A’s 15-3 blowout against the Astros. His day at the plate accounted for 19 total bases, which tied a major-league record with Shawn Green, who did it in 2002.

If the A’s hold true to their past dealings with their prospects who rise to stardom, Kurtz will be playing for another team when he becomes eligible for salary arbitration.  The A’s currently rank 28th (out of 30 teams) in total payroll and aren’t likely to change their ranking anytime soon.