A’s shortstop Jacob Wilson finished as the runner-up, marking the first time a team has had the first and second place finishers in American League Rookie of the Year Voting since 1984. Photo courtesy of the Athletics

WEST SACRAMENTO, CA (MPG) - First baseman Nick Kurtz has been named the 2025 Jackie Robinson American League Rookie of the Year Award winner. Kurtz won the award unanimously with all 30 first-place votes. He is the 14th player to win the AL award by a unanimous vote.

Kurtz slashed .290/.383/.619 with a 1.002 OPS in 117 games played this season after making his MLB debut on April 23. He led American League rookies in home runs (36), RBI (86), runs (90), walks (63), and extra-base hits (64). Kurtz joins Aaron Judge (2017) and Albert Pujols (2001) as the only rookies in MLB history to hit at least 35 home runs, score at least 90 runs, and record an OPS of at least 1.000.

His 36 home runs were the second most in a season by an A’s rookie, trailing only Mark McGwire’s 49 home runs in 1987. On July 25 at Houston, Kurtz went a perfect 6-for-6, tying the MLB record for home runs (4), extra-base hits (5), and total bases in a game (19). He won both American League Rookie of the Month as well as American League Player of the Month for July.

Kurtz joins Mark McGwire (1987) as the only A’s first basemen to win AL Rookie of the Year. This year, he has already won the Player’s Choice Outstanding Rookie Award, Sporting News Rookie of the Year, and the Louisville Slugger Silver Slugger Award for first basemen.

A’s shortstop Jacob Wilson finished as the runner-up, marking the first time a team has had the first and second place finishers in American League Rookie of the Year Voting since 1984. Wilson was the starting shortstop for the 2025 All-Star Game and was the first rookie shortstop to be elected by the fans.