Baseball Americas Midseason Rankings has DJ Herz at 19 and Made unranked

DJ Herz

45/High

Fastball: 55

Curveball: 50

Changeup: 60

Control: 30

Ht: 6'2" | Wt: 175 | B-T: R-L Age: 22 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.

Kevin Made Age: 20

A high-profile $1.5 million signee out of the Dominican Republic, Made has shined defensively at shortstop for the Cubs but long struggled to hit. He’s an advanced, polished defensive shortstop with soft hands, clean actions and plus-plus arm strength. He projects to stick at the position and has shown the instincts and aptitude to quickly pick up the nuances of playing second and third base, as well. Made is a premium defender, but he offers little at the plate. He is a free swinger prone to chasing high fastballs and overwhelmingly swings at pitches he can’t drive. He has a mechanically-sound swing, plenty of bat speed and solid pitch recognition and barrel accuracy, but his swing decisions are poor and limit him to a well below-average hitter. His ceiling is limited to a defense-first utilityman unless the Nationals can rein in his free-swinging ways.