SAN DIEGO – Athletics manager Mark Kotsay has made his dislike of speaking on any player’s ongoing streak very clear. But when the greatest player in franchise history becomes involved, avoiding that talk is impossible.
Carrying MLB’s longest active on-base streak (45 games) into Saturday’s game against the Padres at Petco Park, Nick Kurtz was on the verge of tying Hall of Famer and A’s icon Rickey Henderson for the third-longest streak in franchise history, leaving Kotsay no choice but to acknowledge it.
“I like to focus on the player’s day-in, day-out routines,” Kotsay said. “The consistency that he’s shown. The focus he has when he prepares himself. Every day is a new day for him. That’s where the mindset needs to be. He’s not a hitter that chases hits. He’s a hitter that takes what’s given to him. I think that’s reflective of where he’s at right now.”
It didn’t take Kurtz long to match the Man of Steal. After working an advantageous 2-1 count against Padres starter Lucas Giolito in the first inning, Kurtz roped a fastball down in the zone to right field for a single at an exit velocity of 110.5 mph, pushing his on-base streak to 46 games.
The longest on-base streak in A’s history belongs to Mark McGwire, who reached safely in 62 consecutive games between 1995-96. If you narrow it down to single-season streaks, Kurtz is closing on the A’s record, now just two away from McGwire (48 in 1996). Next on the list, however, is Hall of Famer Jimmie Foxx (47 in 1932).
Kurtz’s on-base excellence transcends not just A’s history. He also continues to climb up the list of longest single-season on-base streaks for any player age 23 or younger since 1900:
1941 Ted Williams: 69 games
1943 Stan Musial: 55
1975 Greg Gross: 52
1937 Joe DiMaggio: 52
2001 Albert Pujols: 48
1984 Alvin Davis: 47
*2026 Nick Kurtz: 46 active
1941 Ted Williams: 44
Williams also holds the MLB record for the longest on-base streak, regardless of age, with an 84-game stretch from July 1, 1949-Sept. 27, 1949.