MLB draft pick's name has fans concerned for announcers

The 2024 MLB Draft got underway Sunday night in Fort Worth, Texas, coinciding with the rest of MLB’s All-Star break in the Dallas area.

With the fourth overall pick in the draft, the Oakland Athletics selected Nick Kurtz, a first baseman from Wake Forest who is a two-time member of the All-ACC first team. It is, by many accounts, a great pick for Oakland.

Almost immediately upon hearing the pick, however, some on social media pointed out that the player’s name could prove tricky for broadcasters.

It’s the second time in as many months that a player’s name has drawn attention for sounding dangerously close to a slur. After Eastern Michigan football got a commitment from Noah Knigga, EMU play-by-play announcer Tom Helmer said he had already been working hard to learn how to pronounce the name correctly.

Kurtz was the second Wake Forest player selected the top five of the draft, as the Cincinnati Reds selected Demon Deacons pitcher Caleb Burns second overall.

[ MLB ]

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