Washington Nationals 2026 Player Report: DJ Herz

With the offseason in swing for the entirety of MLB, let's continue reflecting on the performance of some of the Nationals' 2026 role players -- and projecting how they'll fare in 2027. 

This week, it's time to take a look at 25-year-old pitcher DJ Herz. 

2026: A year of recovery

Herz, a left-handed starter by trade, barely played in the 2026 season after Tommy John surgery in April 2025. 

In just two games with the big-league club, Herz struggled. The southpaw gave up 8 runs in seven innings across two starts, -- largely due to the long ball, giving up three in that very short period. 

In all, though, that's nothing to be too concerned about. Herz is young, and was coming off an extended absence, so there's only so much that could've been expected of him in his return. For what it's worth, he was much better in the minors with a 3.16 ERA and a WHIP just over 1.00 across 25.2 innings.

He was much better in 2024, when he pitched to a 4.16 ERA across 88.2 innings and 19 starts. Underlying numbers actually pegged him as even better than that, with a 3.71 FIP. 

The intrigue with Herz isn't so much how 2026 went, given the extremely small sample size. Instead, it's what comes next. 

2027: What role could Herz play?

After the Nationals' trade for Connelly Early, the top two pitchers in the rotation are set (with Early taking the second starter spot behind ace Cade Cavalli). But there are plenty of opportunities remaining behind them. 

Herz has never been a high-velocity guy, so there's a chance he can return to form more easily than some other guys who have gone under the knife for elbow injuries. Instead, Herz uses spin and location on that fastball, along with his breaking pitches, to induce swings and misses -- he had a very good strikeout rate despite not having an overpowering heater on the radar gun.

The most promising thing when it comes to Herz's future role is his youth. Though he  underwent surgery more than a year and a half ago, he remains on the young side at just 25 (26 at the start of next season) and has plenty of room to grow. 

It goes without saying, but the Nationals will need Herz to get back to the version of himself he showed in 2024 if he is to factor into the team's future plans. This is a franchise that wants to move towards contending over the next couple of seasons, and they're going to need all the quality arms they can get if they're going to reach that goal. 

Herz will be a bit of a mystery heading into next year, but it will be fun to see where his pedigree and past performance can land him.