Elephant Rumblings: Kurtz emerging as true ROY hopeful

MLB news roundup

Happy Wednesday, Athletics Nation!

It wasn’t too long ago that I declared A’s rookie first baseman Nick Kurtz a longshot to win AL Rookie of the Year, given that teammate and fellow rookie Jacob Wilson has been phenomenal in his own right, and had a sizable head start on Kurtz since he began the season with the A’s, while Nick was a May call up. Wilson was also challenging Aaron Judge for the batting title at that point.

However, Wilson’s bat has cooled off considerably since then, while Kurtz continues to rake, and at this point it’s pretty easy to imagine that the reigning AL Player of the Week could wind up with the ROY hardware.

Since the beginning of June, Wilson’s line has been a pedestrian .275/.318/.377 and his wRC+ has been below average at 91. In the same time frame, Kurtz has slashed .307/.385/.748 with a 204 wRC+.

Wilson’s momentum shift has allowed Kurtz to pull within one win above replacement on the season per Fangraphs. At this point, that differential primarily reflects the shortstop’s greater defensive value. If Kurtz can hit through the season at his current pace, he has an excellent chance to catch up with and surpass Wilson in terms of player value by season’s end.

Having the two best rookies in baseball is a good problem for the A’s to have. But hopefully Wilson will break out of his offensive slump soon—while Kurtz keeps on mashing—to keep this competition interesting. I must confess: if I were a betting man, my money would be on Kurtz right now. He’s been consistently excellent at the plate this season, and his power gives him a higher ceiling than Wilson has. Would you agree? Let us know in the comments!

A’s Coverage

• A’s Drop Another, Fall To Rangers 6-2
• A’s roster moves: Clarke and Muncy to IL, Thomas and Cortes recalled
• Kurtz displaying savvy beyond his years
• Los Angeles Dodgers Trade Package it Would Take to Land A’s Mason Miller

MLB News & Interest:

• The 6 MLB front office executives under the most pressure this trade deadline ($)
• MLB Power Rankings: Tigers. Cubs. Brewers. Sheesh! Plus: second-half storylines to watch ($)
• Rockies Sign No. 4 Overall Pick Ethan Holliday
• Giants Have Shown Interest In Isiah Kiner-Falefa
• Rays Acquire Stuart Fairchild, Place Brandon Lowe On Injured List
• Mariners, D-backs Have Discussed Eugenio Suárez
• Twins More Seriously Listening To Offers On Rental Players
• Blue Jays Interested In Mitch Keller
• Today in Baseball History

Best of X:

Roster moves.

Bad Muncy news.