The two were announced as the winners on MLB Network Monday night.
Kurtz won the American League honours unanimously, earning all 30 first-place votes from the Baseball Writers’ Association of America (BBWAA).
The 22-year-old slashed .290/.383/.619, hit 36 homers and drove in 86 runs over his first 117 games with the A’s. He becomes the 14th unanimous winner of the AL rookie of the year and the first A’s player to win the award since Andrew Bailey in 2009.
Kurtz led all qualified AL rookies in home runs, RBIs, slugging, walks and fWAR.
He also put together one of the greatest single-game offensive performances of all time in July against the Houston Astros. Kurtz went 6-for-6 with four long balls, a double, six runs scored and eight RBIs in a 15-3 A’s victory.
Baldwin received 21 of the 30 first-place votes after his big season in Atlanta.
The 24-year-old backstop finished the year with 19 big flies, 80 RBIs and an .810 OPS.
Atlanta’s first-round pick in 2022, Baldwin was the most valuable NL rookie by fWAR, thanks to his contributions on both sides of the ball.
He is the first Brave to win the NL rookie of the year since Michael Harris II in 2022 and the 10th winner in franchise history.
Baldwin’s win secured an extra selection for Atlanta after the first round in next year’s amateur draft under the collective bargaining agreement’s prospect promotion incentive.
Each rookie of the year gets $750,000 from a pre-arbitration bonus pool, and each runner-up receives $500,000.
All voting is completed prior to the MLB post-season.
Anthony, 21, posted an .859 OPS in 71 games for the Red Sox. Boston started its star rookie in triple-A to begin the season, but the former second-round pick was an immediate factor after being recalled in early June. His first year with the Red Sox was ultimately cut short by an oblique injury.
Wilson, meanwhile, batted .311 with 13 homers in 125 games for the A’s. A first-round pick in 2023, Wilson was also kept off the field by injury, as a left forearm fracture cost him time in August.
Toronto Blue Jays reliever Braydon Fisher received one fourth-place vote.
Horton emerged as one of the most important starters for the Cubs in their return to the post-season. The 24-year-old posted a 2.67 ERA and 97 strikeouts over 118 innings in his debut campaign in Chicago. He took off in the second half, allowing just seven earned runs over his final 61.1 innings of the year while holding hitters to a .154 average.
Horton finished second in the voting and received nine first-place votes.
The Brewers landed Durbin in an off-season deal from the New York Yankees before plugging the 25-year-old into their lineup. Durbin provided value in all factors of the game. He spent most of his time at third base and carried a .721 OPS for Milwaukee while hitting 11 home runs and stealing 18 bases.
The MLB award announcements will continue Tuesday night, with the league unveiling the managers of the year.
— with files from the Associated Press
