The Big Kurt(z)

Nick Kurtz (ATH): 6-6, 2B, 4 HR, 6 R, 8 RBI.

Sometimes when writing these daily hitter recaps, you have to make a tough decision about who the featured hitter will be. Should it be the up-and-coming player with the three-hit performance, or the veteran who put together a combo meal? Do you want to highlight the objectively best statline, or go with the player whose name has stronger pun potential?

But every once in a blue moon, the stars align and gift you with a clear-cut option that requires no deliberation. And last night was such a night, as Nick Kurtz put up a truly historic 6-6, 2B, 4 HR, 6 R, 8 RBI performance that had the Astros whispering to themselves: “The horror… the horror…”

For those who missed out on all the ways in which Kurtz etched his name into the history books last night, here’s a quick recap:

• Tied the single-game record for total bases with 19
• Became the first player to finish a game with at least 6 hits, 6 runs, and 8 RBI
• First rookie to hit four home runs in a game
• First Athletic to hit four home runs in a game

What’s wild is that he didn’t even need this huge performance to be considered one of the hottest hitters of the past month, as he’s slashed .366/.450/902 over his last 30 games with 15 homers and 38 RBI. And no, there was no typo in that last sentence. I read it back to myself 10 times just to be sure. He’s been on an absolutely ludi-Kurtz streak.

Let’s see how the other hitters did on Friday:

Kyle Schwarber (PHI): 3-5, 2 HR, 3 R, 4 RBI, BB.

It’s wild to think that a hitter who has casually averaged 43 home runs a year for the past three seasons could be doing anything surprising in the power department. But at 32 years old, Schwarber is setting career-bests almost across the board, rocking the highest Avg EV (94.3 MPH), Max EV (116.7 MPH), wOBA (.399), Hard Hit rate (59%) and xSLG (.610) he’s ever had. His first 50-homer season is in sight.

Julio Rodríguez (SEA): 2-3, 2 HR, 2 R, 2 RBI.

As frustrating as rostering Rodríguez can sometimes be for fantasy managers who draft him in the early rounds, the numbers always seem to be there at season’s end—typically thanks to his penchant for putting together strong second-halves. In 2023 he posted a .721 OPS in the first half, and a .941 in the second. In 2024 he posted a .690 OPS in the first half and an .818 in the second. And so far it looks like he aims to keep the trend alive—picking things up right when it matters most for the Mariners (and, of course, all of our fantasy teams, which I know is likely his main concern).

Tyler Soderstrom (ATH): 2-5, 2B, HR, 2 R, 3 RBI, BB.

Soderstrom came out of the gates hot this season, holding the MLB lead in home runs for a spell early in the year. As he’s cooled off—and his A’s counterpart Nick Kurtz has exploded—he’s become something of an afterthought. However, the peripherals still look quite strong, with Soderstrom flashing elite bat speed, big power (48% Hard Hit), and above-average Z-contact. And the results are starting to come around again, with Soderstrom popping 5 home runs in his last 15 games while hitting .304.

Reese McGuire (CHC): 3-4, HR, R, 4 RBI.

McGuire channeled his cousin Mark in this one, going yard while filling in for starter Carson Kelly. No, this performance does not mean anything. And no, he’s not Mark McGwire’s cousin. It’s not even spelled the same way. You’re so gullible. But… that’s also what I love about you.

Trea Turner (PHI): 4-5, 3B, 3 R, RBI, BB.

Rostering Turner has been a real Trea T. this season. An injury-marred 2024 had some thinking his elite stolen base days were behind him, but he’s currently pacing towards his best season in the SB category since 2018. It’s no fluke either, as he’s rocking 100th-percentile sprint speed this year. A strong second-half seems to be in the cards.

Chase Meidroth (CHW): 3-5, HR, 3 R, RBI.

Perhaps best known for the extraordinarily meme-able video clip of a flyball bouncing off the top of his noggin, Chase would like you to know that his head isn’t the only thing balls bounce hard off of. Hmm… I could’ve probably phrased that better. Anyway, a nice performance from Meidroth, who is actually a very talented contact hitter—but likely won’t see many more home runs rest-of-season. Unless they make it legal to use your head as a bat.

Francisco Lindor (NYM): 3-5, HR, 2B, 3 R, RBI, SB.

Is Lindor, perhaps, finally breaking out of one of the worst cold spells of his career? He ended his hitless 0-for-30 drought earlier in the week, and this was a nice flash of that power/speed upside that Lindor was drafted for. It’s hard not to wonder how much his fractured toe is hampering him right now, but stringing a few more performances like this together will make the injury a distant memory.

Otto Lopez (MIA): 3-5, 3 2B, R, 2 RBI.

A bout on the IL—and the fact that he plays on the Marlins—have helped Lopez’s impressive season fly under the radar. With elite defense (9 OAA), excellent contact ability (19.5% whiff rate), solid speed (81st-percentile sprint speed), and a decent amount of pop (8.6% barrel rate), Lopez is really showing all the signs of being a true five-tool player. It should be interesting to see where his stock settles heading into next year’s drafts.

Kyle Stowers (MIA): 1-3, HR, 2 R, RBI, 2 BB.

At one point earlier in the season, it seemed like Stowers’ absurdly high whiff rate (33.5%) would eventually catch up to him and drag down his offensive output. But while he did slump for a bit, he seems to have made an adjustment sometime in mid-June, as his xwOBA has consistently hovered around .450 since then while his K-rate has dropped below 30% during that stretch. Apparently whiffing doesn’t matter that much as long as you’re murdering the ever-loving stuffing out of the ball when you do make contact.

Michael Harris (ATL): 2-3, HR, 2 R, RBI, BB.

We’ve seen in the past that Harris is capable of putting together a big second-half heater. Last year he posted an .824 OPS in the second half with 11 homers in just 192 plate appearances. The problem is that Harris is currently showing the least plate discipline of his career, and has been making less hard contact for three straight seasons now—all while hitting more balls on the ground. The peripherals just don’t seem to be pointing in the right direction, even if he is hitting .308 over the last week.