This article is excerpted from Jessica Camerato's Nationals Beat Newsletter. Click here to read the full newsletter. Subscribe to receive it regularly in your inbox.
In our first Q&A of the season, learn about the Nationals' No. 16 prospect, DJ Hurts. The 23-year-old southpaw was drafted by the Cubs in 2019 out of high school, and the Nats acquired him last season in a trade for Jaymar Candelario.
Hurts is participating in major league spring training for the first time. In this interview, he gets off the mound and talks about his connection to the Washington Commanders quarterback, his close friends in the NBA, his hometown ties, and… spaghetti.
Other than baseball, what other sports did you play growing up?
“I played soccer [quarterback] and basketball [shooting guard] growing up. When I was a kid, I thought basketball was going to be a sport. And as I got older, pitching always came naturally to me. I was actually planning on going to UNC and playing soccer, but [Commanders quarterback] Sam Howell was released from Florida State's commitment to UNC. He was a five-star, so I was like, 'No, I'm fine' (laughs).”
What did you like about soccer so much?
“Soccer was a lot of fun. It was the adrenaline rush and being with the team and the team camaraderie. A lot of people love the game, but practice was also a lot of fun. Best friends. Just being able to be with him and be in the game on Friday and lead the team was awesome. I loved being a quarterback. That's probably my favorite sport of all sports. I think that's how it was.”
How has being a leader as a quarterback affected the baseball world?
“It's pretty much the same thing. When you're a quarterback, it's all on you. Even if people make mistakes and it's not really your fault, it's still your fault. It's the same with pitching. It's like, it all starts with you. You get the ball the most, the quarterback touches the ball the most. Everything happens through you, you start the momentum, everything starts with you. It’s cool to know that I’m the guy who has to start.”
I saw a photo of you and Nets point guard Dennis Smith Jr. years ago. What's the backstory?
“We're from the same hometown. My dad and Dennis' dad played adult slowpitch for each other, and me and Dennis grew up playing basketball together. Fayetteville is underrepresented in the basketball world. It's appreciated. We played on the same AAU team. It's crazy to see how much he's grown. We still text all the time.”
Does Dennis give you advice or talk about sports?
“No, we're just joking. He actually came to a game when I was in Fayetteville. Dennis is that guy, he's great. Fayetteville's Guys, we take great pride in where we come from. J. Cole is from there and I went to the same high school as him. [Terry Sanford High School]”
You might have answered my next question: Who is your favorite music artist?
“Probably J. Cole, but I love Chris Stapleton. I love country, I love rap, but I'm a big country guy. …There's a song called 'Superhero' by Metro Boomin. I like it as a walk-up song. My girlfriend Shay recommended me a Drake song so I might change it. But I don't like listening to too much music before a game. I don't take myself too seriously, I just want to relax and do what I have to do. ”
What is your favorite food that you could eat thousands of times a day?
“My girlfriend and I have a tradition: The day before we pitch, we always make spaghetti. It might be homemade spaghetti, Olive Garden spaghetti, but it's always spaghetti. …I don't make the sauce. [ourselves], but we really like Rao, it's great. We tried all their different sauces. ”
How did this tradition come about?
“I think I probably made spaghetti one day, and then [I] I went out there and got like double-digit strikeouts, and we were like, “Okay, we're not going to change this.'' (laughs)
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