Overview
- A third-inning walk on Monday extended Kurtz’s on-base streak to 48 games, which ties Mark McGwire’s single-season Athletics record.
- Kurtz has reached base in every game he has played since April 3 and has drawn 52 walks in 53 games, a frequency that fuels the streak.
- He leads the majors with a .444 on-base percentage and, based on current pace, is projected to total roughly 157 walks over a full season.
- Manager Mark Kotsay and teammate Carlos Cortes credit Kurtz’s advanced plate discipline and pitch selection for his sustained success at the plate.
- If the streak continues, Kurtz would need about two more weeks of reaching base to surpass McGwire’s 62-game all-time A’s run, and pitchers are already altering how they attack him, which could change game plans and lineup protection for Oakland.