Entering the season, the Washington Nationals had plenty of high-end hitting prospects but weaker pitching prospects. However, this has changed, with two young pitchers breaking out in the Nationals system. Travis Sykora and Jarlin Susana have emerged as two of the best pitching prospects in the lower levels of the Minor Leagues. The pair’s combination of electric stuff and rapidly improving control has led to breakout seasons.
Pair Of Nationals Pitching Prospects On Rapid Rise
Susana Has Finally Arrived:
Despite only turning 20 in March, Jarlin Susana has had hype around him for years. He throws the most effortless 100 MPH fastballs you will ever see and has a nasty slider to go with it. Susana was the final piece of the Juan Soto, coming over as a raw 18-year-old. He had an electric arm but was still very raw, especially his command. His first season in the Nationals system showed how raw he was, with Susana posting a 5.14 ERA in Low-A Fredericksburg. The fireballer struggled throwing strikes, walking 40 batters in 63 innings. He also was not striking out as many batters as expected for a guy with a 100 MPH fastball in Low-A. He struck out 62 batters in those 63 innings, an underwhelming mark.
The beginning of this season was more of the same, with Susana struggling mightily in Low-A. On May 24th, Susana’s ERA sat at an ugly 8.89, with his WHIP at 2.01. His underlying numbers weren’t as ugly, but things did not look good for Susana in his 11 starts since Susana has been dominant in both Low-A and High-A Wilmington. Susana has gone 55 innings in those starts, allowing 10 earned runs, with 84 strikeouts and 15 walks. He is also holding his 100 MPH velocity deep into games. With his newfound strike throwing, Susana is one of the best pitching prospects in baseball.
Sykora’s Dominance:
Unlike Susana, Travis Sykora has not had a bumpy path in the Minor Leagues. He has been a dominant pitcher his life, which has not changed at the Low-A level. His mid to upper-90s fastball and quality off-speed pitches in a slider and splitter have overwhelmed hitters. He also has good control to go with it. This mix has made him unhittable at the low-A level. In 63 1/3 innings, Sykora has a 2.42 ERA, a 0.85 WHIP, and 96 strikeouts. It has been a huge year for Sykora, a third-round pick for the Nationals last year but signed for near first-round money.
He has been good all year, but things have only gotten better lately. Sykora has not allowed a hit in his last two starts and threw six perfect innings in his last start. This season has been utter domination for the young right-hander, with batters hitting .151 against him. Between Susana and Sykora, the Nationals have two of the most talented pitchers at the lower levels, and both will be future top-100 prospects.
Long Term Outlook:
While both of these arms are very talented, we will still have to wait a little while until we see them in DC. At this pace, we will see these guys sometime in 2026. They represent the next wave of Nationals prospects that will come through the system once James Wood and Dylan Crews graduate. With Mackenzie Gore faltering, the Nationals still need top-of-the-rotation starters, and these guys have that potential.
Main Photo Credits: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
