DJ Herz

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked Washington Nationals #15 prospect in 2024
  BA Grade: 45/High
  
  Track Record: A Cubs eighth-round pick in 2019, Herz quickly impressed in his first full season coming out of the lost 2020. He led all Cubs minor leaguers in with 272 strikeouts during the 2021 and 2022 seasons. The issue? He also led all Cubs farmhands with 114 walks over that same time frame. Herz struggled in Double-A to start 2023, and the Cubs traded him to the Nationals for third baseman Jeimer Candelario at the trade deadline. Herz pitched well in eight games for the Nationals’ Double-A Harrisburg affiliate and earned an all-star nod in the Arizona Fall League.
  
  Scouting Report: Herz’s fastball is deceptive, which helped him rack up a third straight season of more than 130 strikeouts. Hitters note that Herz’s fastball jumps on them much quicker than perceived despite its 91-94 mph velocity. However, his bread-and-butter is his changeup. The nearly double-plus pitch sits 80-84 mph and is easily the best in the Nationals’ system. Herz rounds out his repertoire with an average, tight, vertical curveball in the upper 70s. Herz struggles with control, owning a walk rate near 14%--when league average is closer to 9.5%.
  
  The Future: The Nationals were enthused by Herz’s performance in the AFL. Because of the lack of lefthanded starting pitching depth, the Nationals want to develop Herz as a starter. If his control does not dramatically improve, a move to the bullpen is likely. He could be a candidate to help Washington as a reliever sooner rather than later.
  
  Scouting Grades Fastball: 55 | Curveball: 50 | Changeup: 65 | Control: 35
• 
  Ranked Chicago Cubs #17 prospect in 2023
  BA Grade/Risk: 45/High
  
  Track Record: Herz starred in football and basketball as well as baseball in high school and signed with the Cubs for an above-slot $500,000 as an eighth-round pick. He led the organization in strikeouts in his first full season and again racked up whiffs with 134 strikeouts in 2022, second-most in the system, but he also had the most walks in the organization and struggled after a promotion to Double-A.
  
  Scouting Report: Herz is an athletic lefthander with a potent combination of stuff and deception. His 91-94 mph fastball plays up with the deception and angle he generates from his crossfire delivery, which helps it jump on batters faster than they expect. He racks up swings and misses with his fastball and keeps hitters off-balance with a plus, 80-84 mph changeup he sells well with his arm speed. Herze leans heavily on his fastball and changeup, but he also has a tight, vertical curveball in the upper 70s that is an average third offering. Herz has plenty of stuff, but his extreme crossfire delivery and long arm action make it difficult for him to consistently throw strikes. His command and control are both well below-average and he relies on hitters chasing out of the zone, which they largely stopped doing once he reached Double-A.
  
  The Future: Herz's control shortcomings will likely push him to the bullpen long-term. He has a chance to be a high-leverage, effectively wild lefty reliever similar to Jake Diekman.
  
  Scouting Grades: Fastball: 55. Curveball: 50. Changeup: 60. Control: 30
• 
  Ranked Chicago Cubs #9 prospect in 2022
  Track Record: Herz played quarterback on the football team and guard on the basketball team in addition to being the ace lefthander at Sanford High in Fayetteville, N.C. The Cubs identified Herz early as a draft target and selected him in the eighth round in 2019, signing him for an above-slot $500,000 bonus. Herz looked primed for a breakout during 2020 spring training before the coronavirus pandemic canceled the minor league season, but he carried it over into 2021. Herz led the organization with 131 strikeouts while spending time at both Class A levels and averaged 14.4 strikeouts per nine innings, third-highest in the minors among pitchers who threw at least 80 innings.
  
  Scouting Report: Herz is an athletic lefthander who continues to grow into more stuff every year. His fastball jumped from 88-91 to 92-95 mph and plays up with late carry and deception from his crossbody delivery. Hitters don’t see his fastball and are consistently late on it. Herz’s changeup has developed into a borderline plus-plus pitch with insane drop, in the words of one evaluator, and his tight, vertical curveball is at least an average pitch that ties up righthanded batters. Herz has three swing-and-miss pitches, but his long arm action and cross-body finish make it difficult for him to control his arsenal. He averaged nearly five walks per nine, hit eight batters and threw 14 wild pitches. His arm action also raises concerns about future injuries.
  
  The Future: Herz has electric stuff but needs to improve his control to reach his mid-rotation potential. If he doesn’t, he could still be a shutdown lefthanded reliever.
  

Draft Prospects

• Ranked #243 prospect in 2019 draft
  An athletic, multi-sport athlete committed to North Carolina, Herz played basketball and was a quarterback on his football team, but has upside as a lefthanded pitcher on the diamond. A hard-throwing lefthander, Herz has been up into the mid-90s this spring, but normally settles into the 88-91 mph range, with a below-average arm action and delivery. Last summer at East Coast Pro, Herz threw out of a funky, crossfire delivery and opened up at 87-90 mph, but ticked the velocity up as his outing progressed. Scouts seem split on the quality of his breaking ball, as some have seen a sharp slider that projects as a solid-average offering, while others have serious questions about his feel to spin. Either way, the pitch lacks consistency at the moment, and Herz will also need to improve his strike throwing.

Minor League Top Prospects

• 
  Ranked Carolina League #10 prospect in 2021
  Herz pitched just 10.1 innings in his pro debut in 2019 before the coronavirus pandemic canceled the 2020 season, but he didn’t look rusty in his first full season. The 20-year-old lefthander excelled with Myrtle Beach before a promotion to High-A on Sept. 2. He used his three-pitch mix to overmatch Low-A hitters while striking out 14.4 per nine innings. Herz uses a crossfire delivery that gives his fastball deception, and he sits in the low-to-mid 90s, with one manager calling the pitch electric. Herz’s changeup is his best secondary offering, and it’s a pitch that earns plus grades. He has worked to improve his curveball, turning the pitch into an average offering. The main area of emphasis for Herz is throwing strikes more consistently and pitching deeper into games. He threw five or more innings just four times in 17 Low-A starts, while walking 5.2 per nine innings.

• February, 2023 Scouting Report
  BA Grade/Risk: 45/High
  
  Track Record: Herz starred in football and basketball as well as baseball in high school and signed with the Cubs for an above-slot $500,000 as an eighth-round pick. He led the organization in strikeouts in his first full season and again racked up whiffs with 134 strikeouts in 2022, second-most in the system, but he also had the most walks in the organization and struggled after a promotion to Double-A.
  
  Scouting Report: Herz is an athletic lefthander with a potent combination of stuff and deception. His 91-94 mph fastball plays up with the deception and angle he generates from his crossfire delivery, which helps it jump on batters faster than they expect. He racks up swings and misses with his fastball and keeps hitters off-balance with a plus, 80-84 mph changeup he sells well with his arm speed. Herze leans heavily on his fastball and changeup, but he also has a tight, vertical curveball in the upper 70s that is an average third offering. Herz has plenty of stuff, but his extreme crossfire delivery and long arm action make it difficult for him to consistently throw strikes. His command and control are both well below-average and he relies on hitters chasing out of the zone, which they largely stopped doing once he reached Double-A.
  
  The Future: Herz's control shortcomings will likely push him to the bullpen long-term. He has a chance to be a high-leverage, effectively wild lefty reliever similar to Jake Diekman.
  
  Scouting Grades: Fastball: 55. Curveball: 50. Changeup: 60. Control: 30
• December, 2022 Scouting Report
  BA Grade/Risk: 45/High
  
  Track Record: Herz starred in football and basketball as well as baseball in high school and signed with the Cubs for an above-slot $500,000 as an eighth-round pick. He led the organization in strikeouts in his first full season and again racked up whiffs with 134 strikeouts in 2022, second-most in the system, but he also had the most walks in the organization and struggled after a promotion to Double-A.
  
  Scouting Report: Herz is an athletic lefthander with a potent combination of stuff and deception. His 91-94 mph fastball plays up with the deception and angle he generates from his crossfire delivery, which helps it jump on batters faster than they expect. He racks up swings and misses with his fastball and keeps hitters off-balance with a plus, 80-84 mph changeup he sells well with his arm speed. Herze leans heavily on his fastball and changeup, but he also has a tight, vertical curveball in the upper 70s that is an average third offering. Herz has plenty of stuff, but his extreme crossfire delivery and long arm action make it difficult for him to consistently throw strikes. His command and control are both well below-average and he relies on hitters chasing out of the zone, which they largely stopped doing once he reached Double-A.
  
  The Future: Herz's control shortcomings will likely push him to the bullpen long-term. He has a chance to be a high-leverage, effectively wild lefty reliever similar to Jake Diekman.
  
  Scouting Grades: Fastball: 55. Curveball: 50. Changeup: 60. Control: 30
• April, 2022 Scouting Report
  BA Grade: 50/High
  
  Track Record: Herz played quarterback on the football team and guard on the basketball team in addition to being the ace lefthander at Terry Sanford (Fayetteville, N.C.) High. The Cubs identified Herz early as a draft target and selected him in the eighth round in 2019, signing him for an above-slot $500,000 bonus. Herz looked primed for a breakout during 2020 spring training before the coronavirus pandemic canceled the minor league season, but he carried it over into 2021. Herz led the organization with 131 strikeouts while spending time at both Class A levels and averaged 14.4 strikeouts per nine innings, third-highest in the minors among pitchers who threw at least 80 innings.
  
  Scouting Report: Herz is an athletic lefthander who continues to grow into more stuff every year. His fastball jumped from 88-91 to 92-95 mph and plays up with late carry and deception from his crossbody delivery. Hitters don&#39t see his fastball and are consistently late on it. Herz&#39s changeup has developed a borderline plus-plus pitch with “insane” drop the words of one evaluator, and his tight, vertical curveball is at least an average pitch that ties up righthanded batters. Herz has three swing-and-miss pitches, but his long arm action and cross-body finish make it difficult for him to control his arsenal. He averaged nearly five walks per nine, hit eight batters and threw 14 wild pitches. His arm action also raises concerns about future injuries.
  
  The Future: Herz has electric stuff but needs to improve his control to reach his mid-rotation potential. If he doesn&#39t, he could still be a shutdown lefthanded reliever.
  
  Scouting Grades Fastball: 60. Curveball: 50. Changeup: 65. Control: 40.
• December, 2021 Scouting Report
  Track Record: Herz played quarterback on the football team and guard on the basketball team in addition to being the ace lefthander at Sanford High in Fayetteville, N.C. The Cubs identified Herz early as a draft target and selected him in the eighth round in 2019, signing him for an above-slot $500,000 bonus. Herz looked primed for a breakout during 2020 spring training before the coronavirus pandemic canceled the minor league season, but he carried it over into 2021. Herz led the organization with 131 strikeouts while spending time at both Class A levels and averaged 14.4 strikeouts per nine innings, third-highest in the minors among pitchers who threw at least 80 innings.
  
  Scouting Report: Herz is an athletic lefthander who continues to grow into more stuff every year. His fastball jumped from 88-91 to 92-95 mph and plays up with late carry and deception from his crossbody delivery. Hitters don’t see his fastball and are consistently late on it. Herz’s changeup has developed into a borderline plus-plus pitch with insane drop, in the words of one evaluator, and his tight, vertical curveball is at least an average pitch that ties up righthanded batters. Herz has three swing-and-miss pitches, but his long arm action and cross-body finish make it difficult for him to control his arsenal. He averaged nearly five walks per nine, hit eight batters and threw 14 wild pitches. His arm action also raises concerns about future injuries.
  
  The Future: Herz has electric stuff but needs to improve his control to reach his mid-rotation potential. If he doesn’t, he could still be a shutdown lefthanded reliever.
  
• October, 2021 Scouting Report
  Herz pitched just 10.1 innings in his pro debut in 2019 before the coronavirus pandemic canceled the 2020 season, but he didn’t look rusty in his first full season. The 20-year-old lefthander excelled with Myrtle Beach before a promotion to High-A on Sept. 2. He used his three-pitch mix to overmatch Low-A hitters while striking out 14.4 per nine innings. Herz uses a crossfire delivery that gives his fastball deception, and he sits in the low-to-mid 90s, with one manager calling the pitch electric. Herz’s changeup is his best secondary offering, and it’s a pitch that earns plus grades. He has worked to improve his curveball, turning the pitch into an average offering. The main area of emphasis for Herz is throwing strikes more consistently and pitching deeper into games. He threw five or more innings just four times in 17 Low-A starts, while walking 5.2 per nine innings.
• July, 2021 Scouting Report
  Herz has struck out 14 batters per nine innings at Myrtle Beach and solidified himself as the best active, healthy pitching prospect in the Cubs' system. His 92-95 mph fastball plays up with deception from his crossfire delivery, his curveball is steadily improving and his changeup has been a dominant pitch that earns plus-plus grades at its best. Herz's primary goal is to improve his below-average control and be more efficient so he can last deeper into his starts.