Nick Kurtz leads list of Jim Bowden’s top 10 American League rookies
At the start of the 2025 season, I predicted Jackson Jobe of the Detroit Tigers would be the top American League rookie pitcher and Jasson Domínguez of the New York Yankees would be the top AL rookie position player. Yup, whiffed on both.
Jobe made 10 starts, going 4-1 with a 4.22 ERA before his season ended with Tommy John surgery that took place on June 10. Domínguez has had an OK rookie year, batting .255 with 10 home runs, but his season hasn’t been good enough to make my top-10 list.
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The Athletics have two of the top four rookies — first baseman Nick Kurtz and shortstop Jacob Wilson. Fans voted Wilson as the starting shortstop for the American League in the All-Star Game over superstar Bobby Witt Jr. of the Kansas City Royals and Jeremy Peña of the Houston Astros. However, it’s Wilson’s teammate Kurtz who has been the game’s best rookie this year and will clearly win the AL Rookie of the Year award.
Here is my breakdown of the top 10 American League rookies. Let me know in the comments section who you think should have made the list but didn’t, and vice versa.
(Statistics good through Sat., Sept. 6)
1. Nick Kurtz, 1B, Athletics
Slashline: .309/.403/.632 | fWar: 4.4
Kurtz, 22, is a legitimate power/on-base threat who has hit both leadoff and in the middle of the order for the A’s this season. In 406 plate appearances, he’s hit 29 home runs and walked 56 times. He has proven he can hit high velocity, breaking balls and changeups in all spots of the strike zone. In fact, he’s batting an impressive .332 vs. fastballs, .260 against breaking balls and .294 against changeups. That type of production against pitches with differing velocities, shapes and sizes usually leads to sustained success over one’s career.
His Statcast page is filled with red, as he ranks among the elite MLB hitters with percentiles well above 90 in several categories, including Batting Run Value, Average Exit Velocity, xSLG and BB%. However, he’s graded out as a below-average defender at first base with below-average range, though his dominant bat makes up for it. He has been the overall best rookie in the sport.
2. Roman Anthony, OF, Boston Red Sox
Slashline: .292/.396/.463 | fWar: 2.7
Among the position player rookies on this list, Anthony, 21, has the best long-term outlook. He has a keen eye at the plate and makes consistent loud, hard contact. He can flat-out mash fastballs, hitting .352 against them this season. The Red Sox smartly signed him to an eight-year, $130 million extension through 2033 with a club option for 2034. This deal will save the Red Sox millions of dollars if he lives up to my projections for his career.
Unfortunately, his regular season ended last week with a Grade 2 oblique strain that will keep him out four to six weeks. The Red Sox are hoping that if they make the playoffs, Anthony will have a chance of returning at some point in October.
3. Jack Leiter, RHP, Texas Rangers
Statline: 9-8, 3.74 ERA, 127 2/3 IP, 126 K, 1.29 WHIP | fWar: 2.0
Leiter, 25, has given up two earned runs or fewer in 10 of his past 12 starts, as he’s finally having his breakout season for the Rangers. In the second half, he’s gone 4-2 with a 2.66 ERA, and batters are hitting just .186 against him. It has certainly helped that he’s had the opportunity to learn from two outstanding veteran starters in Nathan Eovaldi and Jacob deGrom.
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Eovaldi told Leiter he reminds him of a younger version of Eovaldi when he was coming up with the Dodgers and Marlins, throwing 100 mph but unable to command his pitches. Leiter is starting to command his pitches, as he is locating his four-seam fastball extremely well and throwing it in the high 90s. Batters are hitting just .191 against it. His slider has late tilt and movement, and hitters are batting just .227 against it. His changeup has been another key weapon, with a .205 batting average against on the pitch. He’s always had a high baseball IQ like his father, former major leaguer Al Leiter, and it’s been great to see him put it all together.
Jacob Wilson was an early ROY candidate but a rough July that included a fractured forearm dropped him in the rankings. (Mark Blinch / Getty Images)
4. Jacob Wilson, SS, Athletics
Slashline: .315/.357/.452 | fWar: 2.9
Wilson, 23, had an amazing first half of the season, slashing .329/.373/.459, with 17 doubles, nine home runs and 42 RBIs, gaining that All-Star nod. The second half of the season hasn’t been as eye-opening, as he has slashed just .272/.306/.420 with three doubles and three home runs and he’s fallen out of contention for Rookie of the Year. He was hit by a pitch just before the All-Star break and initially played through the injury at the start of the second half but eventually was placed on the injured list with a fractured forearm. He’s hit like he did in the first half since returning from the IL (.365 in 13 games). Wilson has the lowest strikeout percentage among AL hitters (7.2 percent) and currently trails only Aaron Judge in batting average.
Defensively, Wilson’s Outs Above Average ranks in just the 15th percentile, but his arm strength is in the 78th percentile. He doesn’t hit the ball hard nor does he have much bat speed, but like Luis Arraez of the San Diego Padres, he can square up the ball with the best of them, make contact and put the ball in play over or under each of the infielders.
5. Noah Cameron, LHP, Kansas City Royals
Statline: 7-6, 3.03 ERA, 113 IP, 88 K, 1.13 WHIP | fWar: 1.5
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A seventh-round pick in 2021, Cameron, 26, spent four-plus seasons in the minors before getting his opportunity with the Royals. The lefty has a five-pitch mix and uses all of his pitches fairly equally. His fastball sits in the low 90s, but his secondary pitches are his calling card, as batters are hitting just .213 against his slider, .167 against his curveball and .214 against his changeup. The pitch value on his breaking ball ranks in the 98th percentile, according to Statcast. Cameron doesn’t strike out a lot of batters, but he’s kept his walks down and limited hard contact. He’s allowed two earned runs or fewer in 14 of his 20 starts this year.
6. Kyle Teel, C, Chicago White Sox
Slashline: .290/.388/.471 | fWar: 1.9
Teel, 23, was one of the headline prospects in the package the Red Sox sent to Chicago in the Garrett Crochet trade. So far, he has lived up to expectations and looks to be the White Sox’s long-term solution at catcher. Defensively, he’s a solid pitch framer and executes the game plan well. Offensively, he’s been excellent with a 132 OPS+, batting .310 against fastballs, .283 against breaking balls and .265 against off-speed pitches, which projects well for sustained success at the plate. He possesses strong leadership qualities and has fit in nicely with the White Sox’s rebuilding plans.
7. Will Warren, RHP, New York Yankees
Statline: 8-6, 4.28 ERA, 141 IP, 135 K, 1.39 WHIP | fWar: 2.1
Warren, 26, has made 29 starts for the Yankees this year, allowing two earned runs or fewer in 20 of his starts. As the Yankees have been making their postseason push, he’s been at his best; in the second half, he’s had a 3.55 ERA in nine starts. Batters are hitting just .199 against his four-seam fastball, which has been his bread-and-butter. His above-average extension has made his 93-94 mph fastball look more like 96-97. He’s been much better pitching at Yankee Stadium than on the road (3.30 ERA at home compared to 5.43 on the road).
8. Cam Smith, OF, Houston Astros
Slashline: .240/.313/.359 | fWar: 1.0
Smith, 22, came to the Astros from the Cubs along with third baseman Isaac Paredes in the Kyle Tucker trade. Smith, who was the Cubs’ first-round pick in 2024, surprised everyone when he made the Astros’ roster out of spring training. The Florida State alum has special makeup and character with a high baseball IQ. His season has been a bit of a roller coaster production-wise, as he batted under .215 in March/April and July and August, but over .300 in both May and June. He has hit left-handed pitching well, slashing .271/.363/.467 against southpaws. He scores high in several Statcast categories, including Bat Speed, Sprint Speed, Arm Strength and Outfield Range. Smith’s work in the outfield has been especially impressive, given he was an infielder in college. All the tools are there for a long, successful career.
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9. Carlos Narváez, C, Boston Red Sox
Slashline: .247/.317/.418 | fWar: 2.5
On Dec. 11, the Red Sox acquired Narváez from the Yankees for right-handed pitching prospect Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz and international bonus pool space. The trade has paid immediate dividends for Boston. Narváez, 26, has done an excellent job behind the plate with his pitch framing, blocking and game-calling. He has worked really well with the Red Sox’s pitching staff and coaching room. Offensively, he’s provided some value, as well. He’s hit righties as well as lefties and shown some power. However, he has really struggled in the second half of the season at the plate, batting just .182 with four home runs after hitting .273 in the first half with eight homers.
10. Colson Montgomery, SS, Chicago White Sox
Slashline: .232/.296/.562 | fWar: 1.9
Montgomery, 23, had a power surge in August, banging 10 home runs while driving in 20 runs despite hitting just .198. That came after a solid July, when he batted .257 with five homers and 18 RBIs. He’s up to 18 home runs in his first 204 MLB plate appearances. He has played shortstop and third base for Chicago this year, demonstrating well-above-average range. He brings positive energy to the field but the big question remains how much he’s going to hit, as he’s struggled to hit for average in the big leagues and in Triple A. Velocity has given him trouble, and he’s hit just .212 against fastballs. He’s also hit only .143 against off-speed pitches, though he’s handled breaking balls well. The left-handed hitter has had most of his offensive production come against right-handed pitchers.
That Montgomery has settled in as an everyday player for the White Sox this season is remarkable when you consider he was sent back to Chicago’s minor-league complex in Arizona in late April to decompress and make adjustments to his swing when he was mired in a significant slump in Triple A.
(Photo of Nick Kurtz and Roman Anthony: Ezra Shaw, Brian Fluharty / Getty Images)
