Where does Nick Kurtz rank among the greatest rookie seasons ever?

Despite their many organizational issues, it sure looks like the Athletics have a budding superstar in first baseman Nick Kurtz.

Kurtz, the No. 4 pick in 2024, has wasted no time making his presence felt. He mashed his 32nd home run in Monday’s 7-4 victory over the Cincinnati Reds, raising his OPS to a stellar 1.109 through 440 plate appearances. With less than two weeks remaining, Kurtz owns a .298 average, 80 RBIs, 24 doubles, and his 5.1 bWAR leads all Athletics players.

There’s no arguing that Kurtz has had a phenomenal rookie season, but is it the greatest in league history? For this list, we factored in traditional statistics, advanced metrics, and context. We also allowed those who played in other professional leagues, such as the Negro Leagues or Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball, to be eligible. 

Also, for the sake of ease, we’re only focusing on hitters. We’ve also opted to omit any rookies from the pre-Rookie of the Year era, meaning anyone who debuted in 1946 or earlier is ineligible. 

Honorable mention: Nick Kurtz, 1B, Athletics (2025)

With respect to Kurtz, it’s hard to include him anywhere close to the five greatest rookie seasons in MLB history. The A’s 70-80 record doesn’t have much to do with it, either. Kurtz’s numbers, as great as they are, don’t stack up to the all-time rookie seasons on this list. We can’t justify placing him above, say, Albert Pujols (2001) or Mark McGwire (1989).

If Kurtz isn’t in the top five, what about the top 10? Honestly, we probably wouldn’t place him there, either, though that’s not a bad thing. In less than 18 months, Kurtz has gone from starring at Wake Forest to hearing his name mentioned alongside players like Pujols and McGwire, not to mention the others that actually made our list. 

“Once he hits the baseball, makes contact, it’s almost like he comes off the ground,” A’s manager Mark Kotsay said after Kurtz’s recent 493-foot home run. “I think that’s what really has given Nick the power that he has.”

Again: This is less an indictment of Kurtz and more a reflection of how historic the very best rookie seasons truly are.

5. Aaron Judge, RF, New York Yankees (2017)

After batting .179 with 49 strikeouts in 95 plate appearances during a 27-game debut in 2016, Judge quickly erased any concerns about his long-term fit with the Yankees. The 2013 first-round pick finished 2017 with a .284 average, a league-high 52 home runs, 114 RBIs, and an incredible 1.049 OPS for the AL Wild Card-winning Yankees. 

Judge’s 8.1 bWAR tied him with Houston Astros second baseman Jose Altuve and Miami Marlins left fielder Giancarlo Stanton for the highest in baseball, though Altuve infamously won AL MVP over Judge. Nearly a decade later, many still debate how Altuve earned 27 of 30 first-place votes, though Judge’s league-leading 208 strikeouts may have swayed some voters. To Judge’s credit, he’s at least cut his strikeout rate from 30.7% as a rookie to 24.4% in 2025.

Unfortunately for Judge and the Yankees, their magical 2017 season ended with an ALCS loss to Altuve’s Astros. Judge notably struggled in October, batting .188 with four home runs and 27 strikeouts in 48 postseason plate appearances. 

4. Ichiro Suzuki, CF, Seattle Mariners (2001)

To be clear, Suzuki’s ranking fourth on this list has nothing to do with his arrival as a 27-year-old rookie and former NPB standout. In fact, Suzuki placing fourth admittedly feels too low, especially after he led the league in batting average (.350), hits (242), and stolen bases (56) on a 116-win Mariners team. Suzuki added eight home runs, 34 doubles, eight triples, and an above-average .838 OPS. 

Incredibly, Suzuki’s 7.7 bWAR ranked eighth among position players and fourth in the American League; Athletics first baseman Jason Giambi (9.2), Mariners teammate and All-Star second baseman Bret Boone (8.8), and Texas Rangers shortstop Álex Rodríguez (8.3) finished above him, though at least Suzuki and Boone reached the ALCS. 

Although Suzuki terrorized Cleveland pitching to the tune of a 12-for-20 showing in an ALDS sweep, he managed just a .222 average in the Mariners’ ALCS loss to the Yankees. 

3. Fred Lynn, Boston Red Sox (1975)

After going 18-for-43 with six extra-base hits during a 1974 cameo, Lynn provided the 1975 Red Sox with a rookie season for the ages. The 23-year-old Lynn batted .331 with 21 home runs, 105 RBIs, and a .967 OPS for the AL East-winning Red Sox. Lynn led the league in runs scored (103) and doubles (47) en route to becoming the first player to win Rookie of the Year and MVP in the same season.

Then came the postseason, where Lynn hit .364 with three RBIs in an ALCS sweep of the Oakland Athletics. Although Lynn’s average dipped to .280 in 25 World Series at-bats, he nonetheless recorded a homer and five RBIs. Alas, despite his and Carlton Fisk’s heroics, the Red Sox fell to the Cincinnati Reds in seven games.

So, why does Lynn warrant a spot over Ichiro? Honestly, the determining factor truly was the Red Sox reaching the World Series and nearly winning, while Suzuki’s 116-win Mariners fell in the ALCS. 

2. Jackie Robinson, 1B, Brooklyn Dodgers (1947)

First off, and we promise we didn’t just make a dreadful pun, but Robinson indeed played first base as a rookie. It wasn’t until 1948 that Robinson moved to his familiar second base spot, where he remained until switching to left field in 1953.

Robinson hit .297 with 12 home runs, 29 stolen bases, and an .810 OPS for the National League-winning Dodgers. Not to be outdone, Robinson produced a 10.6% walk rate, more than double his 5.1% strikeout percentage. Only starting pitcher Ralph Branca (6.4 bWAR) and shortstop Pee Wee Reese (5.8) posted a higher bWAR than Robinson’s 4.1. 

And, of course, Robinson broke the color barrier and became the sport’s inaugural Rookie of the Year. Objectively speaking, Robinson’s rookie season is the most significant in baseball history, and there’s a reason why we mentioned context. Robinson may not have had Judge’s bWAR or won the MVP like Lynn, but his impact beyond the field is enough to net him such a high ranking.

Even so, there’s a rookie season we believe deserves the top spot.

1. Mike Trout, CF, Los Angeles Angels (2012)

Call it recency bias, but we’re picking Trout’s 2012 showing as the greatest rookie season in league history. Despite not turning 21 until Aug. 7, Trout terrorized opposing pitching to the tune of a .326 average, 30 home runs, 83 RBIs, and 49 stolen bases. And while he didn’t win a Gold Glove, he arguably had the play of the year when he robbed Baltimore Orioles shortstop J.J. Hardy of a home run that June.

Whether or not you feel he should have won AL MVP over Detroit Tigers third baseman Miguel Cabrera remains a spirited debate, though Cabrera won the Triple Crown and recorded a .999 OPS for the AL-winning Tigers. Many argued Cabrera’s Triple Crown made him the rightful winner, and given it was the first since 1967, voters leaned heavily in his favor.

Nonetheless, Trout’s incredible 2012 season is enough to give him the No. 1 spot even if he and the 89-win Angels narrowly missed the playoffs.

Who do you believe has the best rookie season in MLB history? Let us know!

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