High-End Pitchers Now Officially Sit Atop Nationals Prospect Rankings

The Washington Nationals were bound to lose their top prospect in Baseball America’s Top 100 rankings at some point.

That point happened earlier this week when the site released its first re-rank of the season. Outfielder Dylan Crews, who joined the Nationals last year but didn’t have the necessary service time to graduate, was still in the prospect rankings to start the season.

Players remains eligible if they have not exceeded 130 MLB at-bats, 50 innings pitched or 30 pitching appearances.

Crews long passed that milestone. Entering Friday’s action he has 247 MLB at-bats. He was one of five prospects that graduated from the Top 100.

Now, the Nationals have two ranked prospects, both of which are pitchers.

Who are the Washington Nationals’ Latest Top 100 Prospects?

For those who follow the organization, the names are familiar.

Right-handed pitcher Travis Sykora was ranked No. 54 while another right-hander, Jarlin Susana, was just behind him at No. 56. They represent the future of the Nationals’ pitching staff, though the future is a couple of years away.

Sykora was the Washington's third-round pick in 2023 out of Round Rock, Texas.

The Nationals convinced the prep star to pass on his college commitment and join the organization.

He didn’t pitch in 2023, but last season, he went 5-3 with a 2.33 ERA in 20 starts with Class-A Fredericksburg. What he showed was an elite strikeout-to-walk rate, as he fanned 129 and walked 27 in 85 innings. It caught the attention of talent evaluators and helped him move into the Top 100 late last season. He was also named Carolina League Pitcher of the Year.

His development has slowed after offseason surgery for a torn labrum in his hip. He just returned to action and is on a rehab assignment in the Florida Complex League. In his first start he struck out six in two innings, allowing one run on one hit and one walk.

Susana also had a breakthrough season in 2024.

The 21-year-old was part of the Juan Soto trade, and he pitched for Fredericksburg and High-A Wilmington last season. He went 4-10 with a 4.34 ERA in 24 starts. That doesn’t jump off the page.

But he has gas.

Per Baseball America, his fastball has been clocked as high as 103 mph. That allowed him to put up dominant numbers outside of his record — 157 strikeouts against 48 walks in 103.2 innings.

So far at Double-A Harrisburg he is 0-1 with a 4.15 ERA in six starts. His strikeout and walk rates have suffered a bit — 38 strikeouts and 20 walks in 26 innings. But the elite fastball is still there.  

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