D.J. Herz

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.