Athletics’ Nick Kurtz makes completely honest Barry Bonds admission amid walk streak
Athletics’ Nick Kurtz makes completely honest Barry Bonds admission amid walk streak appeared first on ClutchPoints . Add ClutchPoints as a Preferred Source by clicking here .
The Athletics contain one of the game’s best young power hitters by the name of Nick Kurtz . Kurtz broke onto the scene last year when he smashed 36 home runs and 86 RBIs on his way to winning AL Rookie of the Year. He produced an insane 1.002 OPS and 5.4 WAR in 117 games played. His 151 strikeouts were concerning, and it remains a concern as he continues on in his sophomore season with 45 in 30 games.
A crazy stat in year 2 for the first baseman is his 33 walks in 30 games. He is averaging a walk in almost every three at-bats. In fact, Kurtz has walked in 19 straight games, something we hardly ever see in this sport. The last time we saw someone walk at this rate was when opposing pitchers wanted nothing to do with throwing to Barry Bonds . Shohei Ohtani doesn’t even get walked like this.
Kurtz recently talked about his walk streak and how he is being compared to the legendary slugger, Barry Bonds.
“Yeah, it’s crazy,” Kurtz said. “I don’t know that anybody should be compared to Barry Bonds, but I’m glad to be in the same discussion even if it is about walks. It’s pretty cool.”
“I don’t know if it changes much. I don’t really go up there looking for a walk, but it’s just something that happens. I am being aggressive toward the right pitches and laying off the other ones. It’s cool to see.”
The Athletics host the Cleveland Guardians for a 3-game series starting Friday night. Joey Cantillo starts for the Guardiand and JT Ginn for the A’s.
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