What if I told you there’s a 2025 draft prospect with nearly identical data to MLB star Nick Kurtz? On top of that, he slashed .341/.497/.760 with 25 home runs and more walks than strikeouts. Just for good measure, he also reached base in all 65 games he played this spring. You’d probably assume that prospect was Aiva Arquette or one of the other college hitters taken in the top 20, right? Not necessarily.
Andrew Fischer: Nick Kurtz 2.0?
The Kurtz Comparison
Don’t worry, I’m not going to bury the lead, let’s get into the comparison. Comparing a player to Kurtz probably seems like risky business. He has been an immediate success at the MLB level and is one of the faces of the next age of MLB superstars. But when looking at Kurtz’s data from his junior season at Wake Forest, it is impossible not to see the similarities between him and Fischer on paper.
During the 2025 season, Fischer broke out in a big way. The surface-level statline was elite, but digging deeper into the data, he has a legit argument to be the best hitter in the class. On the season, he averaged 93.4 mph exit velocity with 59.6% of his batted balls hitting 95+. Combine that exit data with a 77.3% contact rate and an 18.3% chase rate, and the foundation for an elite hitter is there. Succeeding in the MLB simply comes down to the ability to make consistent hard contact while swinging at strikes. It is how Kurtz has succeeded, and will be the main reason Fischer does too.
Looking at Kurtz 2024 college data, he had a 94.4 mph average exit velocity with 54.9% of his batted balls being hit 95+. That power has immediately translated to the MLB game. Kurtz also featured an 18.0% chase rate and a 79% contact rate. There are very obvious similarities between Fischer and Kurtz. The same data that made me label Kurtz “A Modern Elite Power Hitter” has me excited about Fischer at the next level.
Trending in the Right Direction
There is nothing that fires me up more than a player continuing to develop and play better baseball. Coming into this spring, there were swing-and-miss concerns, and for a power-first corner infielder prospect, the batted-ball data was not overly impressive. But he developed and became a more well-rounded prospect in 2025.
During the 2024 season, he put up impressive power numbers with 20 home runs and a .643 slugging percentage, but the data says that was a little bit of a mirage. For a player who hit 20 home runs, he only averaged an 88.8 mph exit velocity with a 39.9% hard-hit rate. He simply had a knack for hitting the ball in the air to the pullside. That is a skill, but when translating it to the next level with wood, it is worrisome to see the lack of true impact.
He also improved his overall approach. In 2024, he had a 25.2% chase rate, which led directly to a below-average 74.9% contact rate. His ability to improve his approach and swing at better pitches directly led to an increase in average from .285 to .341, while also being able to tap into his power more consistently. Those improvements will correlate with success in professional baseball.
Natural Ability to Pull the Ball in the Air
The most important trait for a power hitter is pulling the ball in the air. While exit velocity showcases raw power, if a hitter cannot hit the ball in the air, it is impossible to hit for power. Even more important than that is the ability to hit the ball in the air to the pullside. The majority of baseball fields are 330 down the line and 400 to center. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to realize it is easier to hit a ball 330 feet than 400. Revolutionary analysis, right?
I always say pulling the ball in the air is an art, and some hitters just naturally do it better than others. Contrary to some beliefs, it is not as simple as just try to pull the ball in the air and it will happen. The more hitters try to pull the ball, the more likely they are to lose “posture” and either hook it foul or hit it on the ground. The art of pulling a baseball is keeping within the guardrails of the field. Fischer is one of the hitters who has that natural ability for pulling the ball in the air.
In the 2025 season, Fischer had a 46.4% pull rate. Compare that to Kurtz, who only featured a 32% rate, and Fischer is a more natural pull hitter. He also had a 35.7% barrel rate, showing that not only does he hit the ball to the pullside, but he also doesn’t sacrifice exit velocity or launch angle to get there. As he translates to wood, Fischer won’t have to make any mechanical adjustments to ensure his power translates. As long as he continues to pull the ball hard in the air, he will be able to hit for power at the next level.
Conclusion
As I mentioned earlier, comparing a prospect to Kurtz is risky business. He has been an instant success at the MLB level, and that is putting impossible expectations on a prospect. But the most important trait for a hitter to succeed at the next level is the ability to make consistent hard contact while swinging at strikes. If a hitter can do that, while having a natural ability to hit the ball in the air? Those are skills that are translatable to professional baseball. Fischer is above average to elite in all those categories, which gives him a great argument as the best hitter in the 2025 draft class.
