This was becoming clear even before the four homer game. His OPS was .982, for crying out loud. He had homered seven times in his previous 16 games. The gasps and whispers had already started.

Nick Kurtz of the Athletics has become the first rookie in Major League Baseball history to hit four home runs in a game.

Nick Kurtz made baseball history on Friday night, becoming the first MLB rookie ever to hit four home runs in a single game, during the Athletics’ 15-3 win over the Houston Astros.