Washington Nationals’ Prospect Jarlin Susana Earns Weekly Award

At 6-foot-6, Washington Nationals right-handed pitcher Jarlin Susana earned the honor of being named Pitcher of the Week after the end of week one in the Arizona Fall League (AFL). 

Susana ignited the mound with his explosive pitching style right out of the gate. In his first start, Susana didn’t hold back after he unleashed a 103.4 mph fastball, only for him to top his own speed again when he recorded a 103.8 mph fastball. This made for the hardest pitch ever thrown in AFL history. 

Only one earned run was allowed over Susana’s 5.2 innings pitched across his two starts for the Salt River Rafters. Susana also recorded eight strikeouts.

Though he is known for his intense fastballs, Susana’s slider is not something to look past. Just like his four-seam fastball, Susana demonstrated control and consistency with his mid-80s slider.

Susana will continue to be under the spotlight to see how he stacks up against some of the other top prospects. 

For Susana, the AFL is the break that he had been looking for. After a lat surgery in 2025 ended his season, Susana didn’t return to the mound until late August of this year. 

In his 2026 season, Susana saw eight starts, one of which capped off his season after his move to Triple-A Rochester.  Across those eight regular season starts, Susana recorded 37 strikeouts and had a 6.20 ERA. 

Currently, Susana is the Nationals' No. 4 prospect and ranked the MLB’s No. 66 prospect. 

If Susana stays on this path, the 22-year-old could potentially see himself on the 2027 pitching roster but until then, Susana must continue to execute his dominant velocity on the mound.

The Nationals are giving him a shot to prove himself in a starter role this offseason with the rotation at the top of the offseason needs for the front office ahead of 2027, though Susana serves as one of a handful of in-house candidates alongside Andrew Alvarez, who proved himself in the majors in 2026.

Susana is also one of several Nationals prospects who are suiting up in the Arizona Fall League, giving president of baseball operations Paul Toboni a chance to get a close look at the development of the next wave of talent in the farm system in the weeks ahead with a chance for several to make their MLB debuts in the seasons ahead. Whether that happens in 2027 for Susana is the question.