DJ

Herz

Although the Nationals would have preferred to cut ties with him one year through his previous two-year deal, Williams was astonishingly successful in his 13 starts last season, going 6-1 with a 2.03 ERA and a 59/18 K/BB over 66 2/3 innings. He missed the other 3 1/2 months with a flexor tendon strain. We’re skeptical that he’ll remain an effective starter, but given the modest price and the Nationals’ lack of pitching depth, the contract makes sense. The move could mean that DJ Herz or Mitchell Parker opens up in the minors, assuming that Michael Soroka and the rest of the rotation options make it through the spring healthy.

The Nats want an extra arm, so Herz, who made his final start Wednesday, won’t get to finish his rookie season on the active roster.

Command was the main issue for Herz in this one despite a decent final line. His slider was all over the place and he was fortunate the few he hung – especially one to Bobby Witt Jr. in the fifth inning – didn’t come back to bite him. Regardless, that slider and his changeup were so erratic the Royals rarely chased either and were able to work deep counts and force Herz from this game after five innings. While the end of his season wasn’t great, Hertz has certainly done enough to be in play for a spot in the Nationals’ opening day rotation in 2025.

Things eroded quickly for Herz. He got through the first three innings in 48 pitches with four strikeouts and without a whole lot of stressful moments. Then, the fourth inning came and he allowed seven of the first eight Mets that came to bat to reach base and his Nationals were losing 9-0 in the blink of an eye. His ERA rose from 3.70 to 4.32 after this shellacking and he’ll look to right the ship in his next start against the Royals.

Yet another solid start for Herz. He mixed his fastball, slider, and changeup well against the Marlins’ right-handed lineup to keep them off-balance and keep runs off the board. There were few tense moments, but he was able to bear down when they came. Like in the third inning when he loaded the bases with one out before striking out Connor Norby and Jake Burger, probably the two best hitters in this lineup, back-to-back to end the inning. His ERA is down to 2.92 since the beginning of August and he’ll look to stay hot in his next scheduled start against the Mets in Citi Field.

Herz drew the starting assignment for the front-end of Saturday’s doubleheader and kept Pittsburgh hitless through five frames, thanks to his on-point fastball/change-up combo. Unfortunately, he handed out three free passes and needed a whopping 87 pitches (53) strikes to complete those five innings. Given his immense strikeout potential, Herz remains a viable streaming option for fantasy managers, especially when he faces the free-falling Marlins on Thursday in his next outing.

Game 1 will begin at 1:35 pm EDT, with Game 2 commencing at 6:40 pm EDT, as previously scheduled. Both teams will stick with their current rotations, giving us DJ Herz and Luis Ortiz in Game 1 and the matchup of Mitchell Parker and Mitch Keller in Game 2.

Herz had come into this one having not allowed more than two runs in a start over his last seven outings. He started off strong, keeping the Cubs scoreless across four innings until Chicago brought three in to score in the fifth on three hits and a walk before Herz was relieved on the mound with two outs at 87 pitches. He struck out five. The 23-year-old right-hander will take a 4.09 ERA, 1.27 WHIP, and an 88/26 K/BB ratio across 70 1/3 innings into a start against the Pirates in Pittsburgh on Friday.

This is three straight solid performances from Herz, who continues to display elite strikeout upside. The 23-year-old induced 18 whiffs on 45 swings for a 40 percent whiff rate and 34 percent CSW. The three walks in five innings are not ideal, and the 60 percent zone rate on his four-seam fastball could afford to get better, but he got plenty of chases outside of the zone on his changeup and slider, which helped carry the day. The rookie has a solid 3.84 ERA and should be a priority add on waivers with his next three starts being against the Cubs, Pirates, and Marlins.

The dynamic left-hander struck out seven and walked two while posting a 27 percent whiff rate and 28 percent CSW. His fastball was particularly effective on Tuesday, but he wasn’t able to get as many whiffs on his slider and changeup as we’d like to see normally. Still, it was a solid overall effort for Herz, who will take a 4.15 ERA into a tough start against the Braves this weekend.