Joshua Kuroda-Grauer has wasted no time turning heads in an Athletics uniform.
The rookie has barely settled into MLB, yet by July 8 he was batting .500, going 15-for-30 in the early going. That kind of start is never going to last forever, but it also didn’t look like a total mirage. Before getting the call, Kuroda-Grauer was hitting .352 in Triple-A, and the bat has carried over immediately.
He’s also put himself in a rare bit of company. Kuroda-Grauer is the first player in 18 years to collect 15 hits in his first eight games while striking out two or fewer times.
WE HAVE A ROOKIE MAKING HISTORY 🚨
Joshua Kuroda-Grauer is the first player in 18 years with 15 hits and 2 or fewer strikeouts his first 8 games
He hit .352 in AAA before getting the call pic.twitter.com/lZx1HbNDSi
- Fuzzy (@fuzzyfromyt) July 9, 2026
The profile fits the A’s, too. Jacob Wilson, the club’s standout shortstop who was hurt to help Kuroda-Grauer get to the majors, is built around the same kind of contact-first approach.
Kuroda-Grauer’s rise through the system has been fast. The third-round pick in the 2024 MLB Draft out of Rutgers moved quickly through the minors, and now he’s brought that game to the big leagues.
He’s a New Brunswick, New Jersey native who stayed close to home for college before heading to the West Coast. Now, in an A’s uniform, he’s making a strong first impression.
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