Nick Kurtz and Tommy White were selected by the Oakland Athletics during the 2024 MLB Draft earlier this month. The two rookie hitters immediately became the organization’s highest-paid hitters as soon as they signed their professional contracts.
Think about that for a second!
Two very recent collegiate players who have never seen a professional pitch are making more than every other hitter on a Major League Baseball roster. All nine hitters in the Athletics’ lineup and their backups will get paid less money this year than a pair of rookies. Pretty crazy.
Kurtz hit .333 with 182 RBIs and 61 home runs in 567 at-bats over three seasons as the starting first baseman at Wake Forest. He was drafted No. 4 overall.
White, best known as Tommy Tanks, began his career at North Carolina State. The 6-foot-1, 228-pound third baseman transferred to LSU in 2022 and won a national championship with the …