Jacob Wilson Predicts Where A's Teammate Nick Kurtz Will Rank In Top 100

This week, MLB Network is unveiling their database for nan "Top 100 Players Right Now," and successful nan first nighttime of action, they slotted A's catcher Shea Langeliers No. 92, and DH Brent Rooker correct successful beforehand of him astatine No. 91. We mentioned yesterday that Jacob Wilson would apt beryllium coming up successful Wednesday's 80-61 show, fixed wherever Luis Arraez vanished a twelvemonth ago, and that's precisely wherever Wilson ended up.

On Wednesday, MLB Network slotted Wilson arsenic nan No. 76 subordinate successful shot coming disconnected of a play successful which he deed .311 pinch a .355 OBP and finished 2nd successful nan AL Rookie of nan Year voting down teammate Nick Kurtz.

Wilson, ever down for an interview, appeared connected MLB Network to return a fewer questions aft his sanction was called, and nan last mobility he took was a doozy: "Give maine a number wherever Nick Kurtz will beryllium placed astatine connected our top-100 countdown."

Wilson hyped up his teammate, was realistic, and besides didn't needfully reply nan question.

"I deliberation he's decidedly a top-20 shot subordinate successful nan large leagues for sure. He could beryllium higher, he could beryllium location successful that range. I think, for me, he's 1 of nan champion players successful baseball. Just being capable to watch him each and each day, nan kid's unbelievable.

"It's unbelievable to conscionable beryllium his teammate. He shows america what he tin do connected a regular basis, and it's beautiful spectacular to beryllium capable to beryllium his teammate and watch what he does."

It was bully that he didn't do nan cop-out reply and opportunity he's No. 1. For personification that hasn't been successful nan large leagues for terribly long, this was a very bully measurement to reply this mobility while besides giving a existent answer.

He's besides right. We'd besides person Kurtz pegged location successful nan top-20, possibly moreover successful nan top-10 if we had to guess. At nan aforesaid time, a batch of that is based disconnected of his 117-game debut season, truthful location is immoderate extrapolation that comes pinch immoderate chat of Kurtz.

He knocked 36 location runs and drove successful 86 RBI successful that span, too, truthful he could easy beryllium 1 of nan apical 3 to 5 bats successful shot successful 2026 if he continues connected that type of trajectory. In fact, he was just 1 of 3 players pinch complete 400 sheet appearances, joining Aaron Judge and Shohei Ohtani, to decorativeness pinch an OPS supra 1.000. Not moreover Cal Raleigh, who deed 60 location runs, had an OPS that high.

Kurtz vanished pinch 4.6 fWAR past season, ranking him 25th among violative players past season, contempt not playing a afloat play and not getting a ton of thief from his protect numbers. There were only 9 pitchers that vanished pinch 4.6+ fWAR successful 2025, truthful nan worst that Kurtz could seemingly spot would beryllium astir No. 35, and that's based solely connected nan total, not nan output per game.

It'll beryllium absorbing to spot really Kurtz fares against immoderate of those apical pitchers, though, fixed that they make betwixt 30-32 starts. The aforesaid statement that you usage for Kurtz you tin usage for them to a degree. Of people much playing clip isn't really an action for nan starters, but if you're going by effect while connected nan field, it'll beryllium absorbing to spot really that plays out.

We'll put Kurtz astatine No. 12 overall. You tin make nan lawsuit that location are only 2 bats amended than him (Ohtani and Judge), but location will astir apt beryllium a fewer much that sneak up of him for illustration Bobby Witt Jr. and Cal Raleigh, some acknowledgment to their defense. Twelfth conscionable seems for illustration a bully landing spot for Kurtz. We'll person to hold a mates of days to spot if he ends up supra aliases beneath that number.

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