Washington Nationals prospect DJ Herz impressed in his third career start on Saturday, pitching six innings of one-hit ball while recording 13 strikeouts in a 4-0 win over the Miami Marlins.
DJ Herz now has 13 Ks on the day for the @Nationals 👀 pic.twitter.com/F1EcWQJvt4
— MLB (@MLB) June 15, 2024
According to Sarah Langs of MLB.com, Herz’s performance is a rare feat. He is only the second pitcher since 1901 to record 13 or more strikeouts with zero walks in one of their first three career outings.
The other? Former Nationals ace and 2019 World Series MVP Stephen Strasburg. The three-time All-Star struck out 14 batters in his major league debut against the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2010.
The 23-year-old was locked in from the start, dazzling the Marlins with his nasty cutter, changeup and an overpowering four-seam fastball Miami simply couldn’t touch. Herz struck out seven of nine batters his first time through the lineup, setting down the side in order in the third.
DJ Herz, K'ing the side in the 3rd.
7Ks thru 3. pic.twitter.com/zz5VuSIf7m
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) June 15, 2024
Herz never had a 13-strikeout performance before his jump to MLB. Over parts of four minor league seasons, the most K’s he’d recorded in a game was 12 (once), while he posted double-digits five times overall.
With 10 strikeouts so far today, DJ Herz joins the following rookies to record at least 10 Ks in a game in Nationals history (2005-pres.):
Stephen Strasburg (14 and 10)
John Lannan (11)
Reynaldo Lopez (11)
Joe Ross (11)
Josiah Gray (10)— Nationals Communications (@NationalsComms) June 15, 2024
An eighth-round pick by the Chicago Cubs in the 2019 MLB Draft out of Terry Sanford High School, Herz made his way to the Nationals via trade in July 2023. He started the year with Triple-A Rochester, going 3-2 with a 3.75 ERA in nine starts before being called up on June 4.
Herz’s first two starts in the majors were a mixed bag, going 0-1 while allowing a combined six earned runs with eight strikeouts over 8.1 innings. He’ll make his fourth start on June 21 at the Colorado Rockies.
