A's Nick Kurtz Says He'd Compete in 2026 MLB Home Run Derby After Historic 4 HR Game

Athletics first baseman Nick Kurtz says he would "probably" compete in the 2026 Home Run Derby if invited to the event after becoming the first rookie in MLB history to hit four runs in a single game.

"I probably would, just 'cause it's in Philly. That's kind of closest to home, so that would be pretty cool," the Lancaster, Pennsylvania, native said Friday on Foul Territory TV.

"After watching [Brent Rooker] do it, and talking to Rook about it, he said it was so much fun. So I'd enjoy doing that, I think, yeah."

Kurtz became the 20th player in MLB history to record four home runs in the same game during the A's 15-3 win over the Houston Astros on July 25.

He closed out one of the best single-game performances in history by going 6-for-6 at the plate and tying an MLB record with 19 total bases.

Kurtz also came close to becoming the first MLB player to record five home runs in a single game with a 381-foot double that would have been a homer in six MLB ballparks, per ESPN.

The bat with which Kutz achieved the feat is now being enshrined in the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Rooker represented the A's in the 2025 Home Run Derby, during which he tied Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh with 17 home runs in a head-to-head battle that saw him come less than an inch shy of advancing to the next round.

Kurtz has been playing with Rooker and the Athletics since April 23, when he recorded a hit and an RBI in his MLB debut.

The rookie steadily improved on his way to a historic July, during which he slashed .395/.480/.953 with 11 home runs and 27 RBI in 23 games and 101 plate appearances.

If Kurtz is able to continue that momentum into his second MLB season, he could be getting a call from the league to follow in Rooker's footsteps when the 2026 MLB All-Star Weekend takes place in Philadelphia next July.