Barry Bonds’ recent record is broken during Athletics’ match against Royals.

Nick Kurtz Breaks Barry Bonds’ Walk Record

Nick Kurtz, a first baseman for the Athletics, recently made headlines by breaking a long-standing record held by baseball legend Barry Bonds. This moment arrived during a game at a Triple-A ballpark, where Kurtz was intentionally walked by Royals relief pitcher John Shriver in his final at-bat, marking his 19th consecutive game reaching base through a walk.

This achievement surpassed Bonds’ previous record of 18 consecutive games with walks, which he set during the 2002 season. It’s interesting to note that Bonds accomplished this feat with an impressive 34 walks during that stretch, 14 of which were intentional.

Kurtz, only 23 years old, has quickly made a name for himself in Major League Baseball. As the fourth overall pick in the 2024 draft, he won the American League Rookie of the Year award last year, boasting a batting average of .290 along with 36 home runs, a 1.002 OPS, and winning the AL Silver Slugger Award for his position.

While Kurtz’s numbers are certainly commendable—five home runs in his current streak and an OPS of .963—Bonds remains a unique figure in the sport. The legendary player, who finished the 2002 season with 198 walks, also holds the record for the most walks in a single season with a stunning 234 in 2004.

Yet, it’s fascinating to compare their performances: while Bonds had a batting average of .409 during his walk streak, Kurtz has faced some challenges. He has recorded 25 strikeouts during this period, which is notably higher than his total walks (24) and fewer intentional walks than both Shohei Ohtani and Nationals’ James Woods.

This latest record places Kurtz in a tie for second place on the all-time single-season walk streaks, alongside Ted Williams, who reached 19 consecutive games in 1941. In fact, only six players since the 1947 season have managed to achieve 15 consecutive games with walks.

To wrap it up, while Nick Kurtz is certainly on the rise and making waves, there’s a certain magic about Bonds that perhaps lends a bit of unreachable allure to his records.