No rookie had as impressive a campaign in 2025 in MLB as Nick Kurtz. Taken fourth overall in the 2024 MLB Draft by the Athletics, Kurtz made his MLB debut on April 23. He didn’t quite catch fire in the first half, though. Kurtz performed decently, putting up a .257/.333/.558 slash line, 17 home runs, 44 RBI, 33.2% strikeout rate, and 10.6% walk rate.
The makings of a future all-star were there, but Kurtz didn’t take the baseball world by storm until July 25, 2025, when he did something no rookie had done in MLB history to that point: hit four home runs in one game. Big Amish was an unstoppable force the rest of the way, hitting .322/.429/.678, with 19 home runs, 42 RBI, and increased his walk rate to 15% and decreased his strikeout rate to 28.7%.
Kurtz’s second-half performance led to him unanimously winning the American League Rookie of the Year this past year. His 36 home runs are tied for the ninth most by a rookie since the Rookie of the Year award was introduced in 1947.
Everyone wants to have the next big prospect, such as Kurtz, on their fantasy team. Kurtz is only entering his age 23 season and has 40 HR/100 RBI/ 1.000 OPS potential for the next several seasons. While there may not be a 2026 Rookie of the Year candidate with his identical make and build, there are a few who could take the league by storm and prove worthwhile for dynasty owners who took flyers on them in the past few years. None of them should be expected to join Kurtz in the exclusive four home runs in a game by a rookie club, but their ceilings are still set for elite performances in their rookie campaigns.
MLB’s top prospect, Konnor Griffin, is looking to be the first teenager in the league since 2019 and has a real shot of making the Pirates’ Opening Day roster with the starting shortstop role. Griffin had a meteoric rise through the Pirates’ farm system last year, hitting at least .325 and having an on-base percentage of .396 or higher at all three levels he played at last year. Playing in the majors is incredibly hard for any teenager, but Griffin looks to be the first since Juan Soto to make an immediate impact on his team.
The Tigers may have their shortstop of the future in Kevin McGonigle. A well-polished hitter with a 14.9% walk rate and an 11.6% strikeout rate over 397 plate appearances last season, McGonigle may be the opposite of Kurtz in terms of upside as a hitter. McGonigle has great contact skills and could be a threat at the top of the Tigers’ lineup that is much needed to help them make a deeper postseason run in 2026.
JJ Weatherholt
Flying under the radar of Griffin, McGonigle, and the Brewers’ 18-year-old phenom, Jesús Made, JJ Weatherholt may become one of the best hitters in a rare rebuilding year for the St. Louis Cardinals. Weatherholt put up a .306/.421/.510 slash line with 17 home runs, 59 RBI, and 23 stolen bases over 109 games in his first full season in pro ball. Drafted as a shortstop out of West Virginia, Weatherholt looks to be the Cardinals’ second baseman for this upcoming season and could surprise many with his hit and running tools.
The only player on this list to make his MLB debut last season, Sal Stewart, is fighting for a spot in a crowded Cincinnati Reds infield that is looking to make the postseason in back-to-back seasons for the first time since 2012-2013. Stewart put up a .318/.423/.636 slash line in a limited 26 plate appearances, but he is the most likely among this group to have a 20 home run season in the majors this next year.
The next Nick Kurtz: Kevin McGonigle
This next season, a contact-hitting rookie is going to take the league by storm instead of a slugger like Kurtz. That will be McGonigle, who has a real chance to bolster the Tigers’ defense on the left side of the infield and be a threat at the top of their lineup. Only Kurtz’s teammate, Jacob Wilson, has hit over .300 with 350 or more plate appearances as a rookie since 2020. McGonigle could be the next rookie to accomplish this and only the second of the decade, which is why he’s Pitcher List’s pick to be the breakout rookie in 2026.
