DJ Herz DVOA, Advanced Stats, & Fantasy Rankings

The Washington Post's Spencer Nusbaum writes that Washington Nationals left-hander DJ Herz worked hard to tighten up his mechanics and add strength in the offseason. "Everything's in the zone, everything's where you want it. And it's cool to see that all of my bullpens have been like that so far," Herz said. The 24-year-old southpaw is looking to build on an impressive rookie season in 2024 in which he went 4-9 with a 4.16 ERA (3.71 FIP) and 1.26 WHIP with 106 strikeouts and 36 walks in 88 2/3 innings pitched over his first 19 MLB starts. Even more encouraging was the fact that he turned things around and was pitching his best late in the year after a tough initial go of it in the big leagues. Eliminating unneeded movement in his windup will hopefully make him more consistent within the strike zone and raise his ceiling as starting pitching depth in deeper fantasy leagues. Herz is competing for a rotation spot this spring.

Washington Nationals starting pitcher DJ Herz threw five hitless innings on Saturday and picked up the win in the first game of the Nationals-Pirates doubleheader as Washington won 5-3. Herz struck out five and walked three in the process, unable to go deeper in the game after throwing 87 pitches in five innings. The lefty has provided solid value for the Nationals in his rookie season, posting a 3.82 ERA in just over 75 innings pitched. With an xERA of 3.37 it'd appear that positive regression is likely for the lefty in his remaining starts this season. Fantasy managers looking for a late season find may want to consider adding Herz to their roster. The 23-year-old will look to continue improving in his next scheduled start on Thursday against the Miami Marlins. Herz previously faced the Marlins in June and struck out 13 in six innings. Fantasy managers and DFS managers should both target Herz for his start against Miami.

Washington Nationals starting pitcher DJ Herz was once again impressive on the mound during Sunday's outing against the St. Louis Cardinals. The rookie left-hander struck out eight batters while allowing two runs in five innings of work. For the second time in a row Herz threw under 80 pitches before being yanked from the game. To be fair, the Nationals don't have much incentive to push their prized southpaw to his limits given their place in the standings.

The Washington Nationals have called up pitcher DJ Herz from Triple-A Rochester, and he will pitch against the San Diego Padres on Tuesday. Herz made seven appearances with the Nationals earlier this season and went 1-2 with a 5.47 ERA and 1.41 WHIP. He recorded 41 strikeouts and nine walks over 31 1/3 innings before being sent down after a start on July 7 against the St. Louis Cardinals. Herz recorded his first win against the Miami Marlins on June 15. His strikeout potential makes him an intriguing play for daily fantasy managers, while those in standard leagues would be wise to keep him on the waiver wire.

The Washington Nationals optioned pitcher DJ Herz to Triple-A Rochester ahead of the team's series finale against the St. Louis Cardinals. Herz would have started one more game before the All-Star break, but the Nationals have opted to send him down anyway. Mark Zuckerman of MASN said this move will likely save some innings for later. As a result, fantasy managers can assume Herz will return shortly after the All-Star break. The left-hander currently owns a 5.17 ERA across his first seven major league starts. In two of those outings, the 23-year-old struck out at least 10 batters, so there is some appeal in still stashing him in most 12-plus team leagues. In his place, Joan Adon took his spot on the active roster and should draw a start this week.