This story was excerpted from Martín Gallegos’ A’s Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

There is a high level of excitement surrounding Nick Kurtz – the A's No. 4 overall pick in the 2024 MLB Draft – and the possibility of him making a quick ascension to the big leagues.

That journey is now officially underway.

After spending some time acclimating to his new organization at the A’s Minor League complex in Mesa, Ariz., Kurtz was sent to Single-A Stockton on Friday to begin his professional career. He was one of four 2024 A’s Draft picks assigned to the Ports, joined by second-rounder Tommy White, third-rounder Joshua Kuroda-Grauer and fourth-rounder Rodney Green.

Kurtz, 21, was rated as one of the top overall hitters of his Draft class, and he is considered to have an advanced approach at the plate. His blend of a powerful left-handed bat with an excellent eye and strong bat-to-ball skills shined at Wake Forest, where the first baseman posted a 1.294 OPS with 22 homers and 57 RBIs in 2024 while leading college baseball with 78 walks.

Here’s a closer look at the rest of the new faces joining Stockton this weekend:

3B Tommy White, LSU

Power is the standout tool for White. Across three seasons, beginning at North Carolina State in 2022 and continuing at LSU from '23-24, White slugged 75 home runs and posted a 1.123 OPS in 187 games to finish eighth on the NCAA Division I all-time home run list.

White generates huge right-handed power to all fields with strength, bat speed and an uncanny ability to barrel balls. Known more for his slugging, he's underrated as a hitter who makes repeated contact with impressive exit velocities. Though he's overly aggressive and regularly expands his strike zone, he rarely swings and misses.

SS Joshua Kuroda-Grauer, Rutgers

Contact is the calling card for Kuroda-Grauer, who rarely struck out at Rutgers. He earned Big Ten Player of the Year honors in 2024 by slashing .428/.492/.590 with five homers, 19 doubles, 45 RBIs and 24 steals while striking out just 18 times in 53 games for the Scarlet Knights.

OF Rodney Green, University of California

Green, who grew up in Richmond, Calif., and wore No. 24 through college to honor his two favorite players, Hall of Famers Rickey Henderson and Ken Griffey Jr., showed off an exciting power-speed combination while playing down the road from Oakland at Cal. Across three seasons with the Golden Bears, he swiped 45 bases and crushed 34 home runs in 151 games.

Defensively, Green’s athletic 6-foot-3 frame allows him to play all three outfield spots. While the raw tools are exciting, Green will have to work on tightening his overall offensive game, as his strikeout rate hovered around 30% in college.