Cubs name OF Darius Hill, LHP DJ Herz Minor League Player and Pitcher of the Month

The Cubs on Sunday named their choices for the Cubs Minor League Player and Pitcher of the Month for May and they are Tennessee Smokies outfielder Darius Hill and Myrtle Beach Pelicans left-hander D.J. Herz.

The 23-year-old Hill was a 20th-round pick out of West Virginia in 2019. He started this season in Low-A Myrtle Beach. After just seven games, where he went 12 for 32 with three doubles (.375 batting average), he was promoted to Double-A Tennessee, skipping High-A South Bend. Hill was far from overmatched after the promotion, going 22 for 69 (.319) with two doubles and a home run in 16 Double-A games. Combined, Hill hit .337/.368/.416 in the month of May.

Herz, 20, made four starts for the Pelicans in the month of May, allowing just one run over 12 innings for a 0.75 ERA. Herz held opposing hitters to a .081 batting average and he struck out 20 batters and walked six.

Herz was an eighth-round pick in 2019 out of Terry Sanford High School in Fayetteville, North Carolina.