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Jarlin Susana has received an invitation to MLB Spring Training.
The Washington Nationals will head to MLB Spring Training with several notable prospects. The list will include hard-throwing right-hander Jarlin Susana, the team announced. The 21-year-old is the lone player from the blockbuster Juan Soto trade yet to reach the major leagues. He’s topped out at Double-A as a professional.
MacKenzie Gore and CJ Abrams were the headliners of the deal that sent Soto and Josh Bell to San Diego. Highly-ranked prospects James Wood and Robert Hassell were on the verge of contributing at the highest level. Luke Voit was thrown into the deal to round it out. Susana was easily the furthest from being a finished product. The young righty had just 29.1 innings of pro ball to his name when he was shipped to Washington.
Susana has steadily climbed up prospect leaderboards. FanGraphs had him at No. 1 on the Nationals’ list last season. MLB.com had Susana at fourth, slotting him behind recently-drafted Eli Willits, trade acquisition Henry Ford, and right-hander Travis Sykora.
Jarlin Susana Stands Out With Elite Repertoire
Baseball America released an overview of Washington’s top 30 prospects in January. The piece included a breakdown of the best individual attributes in the system. BA listed Susana as having the best fastball AND the best curveball in the organization. The right-hander runs the heater up to 102 mph and has a breaking ball that received an 80 future grade from FanGraphs.
Susana compiled a 3.51 ERA in 14 minor league appearances across two levels last year. Multiple trips to the injured list led to a truncated season. When healthy, Susana delivered massive strikeout numbers. He posted an absurd 44.4% strikeout rate in nine innings at High-A, then moved to Double-A and punched out hitters at a 38% clip.
While his track record remains limited, Susana has generated strikeouts at an elite rate at nearly every minor league stop. He posted a 36.9% strikeout rate in his first full pro season in 2022. Susana regressed a bit in 2023, striking out just 21.8% of Single-A hitters. He bounced back with a strikeout rate above 35% over a career-high 103.2 innings in 2024.
Susana Joined By Several Notable Names
The list of non-roster invitees to spring action includes a handful of intriguing prospects. Sykora made the cut after his second straight dominant campaign. The right-hander posted 85 innings of a 2.33 ERA at Single-A in 2024. Injuries limited him to just 45.1 innings last season, but he cruised to a 1.79 ERA with a massive 46.7% strikeout rate. Sykora has the makings of a middle-of-the-rotation starter, with the upside of an ace.
Seaver King, Washington’s first-round pick in 2024, will join the team in West Palm Beach. The 22-year-old out of Wake Forest didn’t have the best offensive season in 2025 (88 wRC+), but continues to earn strong grades for his glove. Baseball America rated him as the best defensive infielder in the system.
The prospect with the best chance to break camp with the team might be Yohandy Morales. The 24-year-old corner infielder spent the majority of last year at Triple-A. Morales didn’t tear the cover off the ball at Rochester as he had at previous levels, but his age and the lack of competition at first base provide a path to the 26-man roster.
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