Houston, July 26, 2025 — Oakland Athletics rookie Nick Kurtz stunned the baseball world by becoming the first rookie in MLB history to hit four home runs in a single game. In a dominant 15–3 win over the Houston Astros at Daikin Park, Kurtz went a perfect 6-for-6, driving in 8 RBIs and tallying 19 total bases, tying the MLB single-game record set by Shawn Green in 2002 MLB.com+12Reuters+12clutchpoints.com+12.
Game Highlights & Records
- Four homers came in the 2nd, 6th, 8th, and 9th innings, each off a different Houston pitcher including a position player in the ninth clutchpoints.com+3Houston Chronicle+3Sportsnet.ca+3.
- Kurtz matched Shawn Green’s 19 total base benchmark and joined him as the only players to record six hits and four homers in a single game New York Post+12Reuters+12clutchpoints.com+12.
- At just 22 years old, drafted fourth overall from Wake Forest in 2024, Kurtz delivered this performance in just his 66th MLB game, with a slash line of .305 AVG, 23 HRs, and a 1.060 OPS for the season baseballamerica.com+12Reuters+12Houston Chronicle+12.
Box Score Summary
| Category | Performance |
|---|---|
| Hits | 6-for-6 |
| Home Runs | 4 (2nd, 6th, 8th, 9th innings) |
| RBI | 8 |
| Total Bases | 19 (MLB record tied) |
| Runs Scored | 6 |
| Age & Draft | 22, 4th overall pick (2024) |
| Season Totals | 23 HR in 66 games, .305 avg, 1.060 OPS |
What It Means
This was the 20th instance of a player hitting four home runs in one game—and the first-ever by a rookie. Kurtz’s historic performance came in a blowout win and instantly elevated him to contender status for AL Rookie of the Year, while reaffirming his place among MLB’s emerging elite hitters New York Postclutchpoints.com+2Sportsnet.ca+2AP News+2Houston Chronicle.
Athletics manager Mark Kotsay called it “arguably the best game I’ve ever watched from a single player,” and teammates compared the spectacle to tee‑ball-level dominance due to how effortlessly Kurtz cleared the fences Sportsnet.ca+2ESPN.com+2AP News+2.
