Jarlin

Susana

Nationals manager Dave Martinez called it a “best-case scenario” when speaking to reporters on Sunday. There won’t be a definitive update concerning Susana’s long-term outlook until he resumes throwing in a couple weeks. The hard-throwing 21-year-old righty is right there with Travis Sykora as the top pitching prospect in Washington’s system. It’s an encouraging update, but there’s still reason for dynasty managers to closely monitor his status in the coming weeks.

Nationals manager Dave Martinez told reporters Saturday that Susana is dealing with an arm injury, but didn’t disclose any additional information. The 21-year-old righty boasts immense strikeout potential and is generally regarded as one of the higher-ceiling pitching prospects in the fantasy landscape. There should be some clarity on his status in the coming days.

Susana is the Nationals’ 13th-ranked prospect, according to FanGraphs, and was one of the players sent over to Washington in the Juan Soto trade. He’s just 20 years old and acquitted himself well this spring, throwing three shutout innings. He ended last season at High-A but could begin the 2025 season at Double-A as he gets closer to his big league debut.

The 20-year-old Susana, already one of the hardest throwers in pro ball, topped out at 102.0 mph in this outing. Middling command and the lack of a third pitch could result in him moving to the pen at some point, but that’s not the plan for now. He has a sky-high ceiling if he does learn to throw more strikes and figure out a changeup.

Susana logged his second consecutive double-digit strikeout performance as his meteoric rise through Washington’s system continues unabated. The dynamic 20-year-old righty has compiled a strong 4.34 ERA, 1.31 WHIP and 157/48 K/BB ratio across 103 2/3 innings (24 starts) this season between High-A Wilmington and Low-A Fredericksburg. His ability to miss bats is going to translate to the highest level and make him an immediate fantasy contributor once he arrives.

Susana earned a promotion last month to High-A after a dominant run in the Carolina League to open the year. The dynamic 20-year-old righty has compiled a strong 3.15 ERA, 0.85 WHIP and 26/3 K/BB ratio across 20 innings (four starts) since last month’s promotion. It wouldn’t be shocking if he ended the year in the upper minors as one of the better pitching prospects in the fantasy landscape.

Susana came over to the Nationals from the Padres as part of the Juan Soto blockbuster back in 2022 just a few months after signing as the top-ranked international pitching prospect in his signing class. The 20-year-old righty has rocketed up dynasty prospect lists this season with a 4.47 ERA, 1.37 WHIP and 83/30 K/BB ratio across 56 1/3 innings (14 starts) for Low-A Fredericksburg. The astronomical strikeout rate puts him on the map for fantasy purposes, even if he’s a few hyperspace jumps away from reaching the majors.

Susana was considered the top pitching prospect in the most recent international signing class and is the definition of a lottery ticket for the rebuilding Nationals. The 18-year-old righty is years away from the majors, but could evolve into one of the premier pitching prospects in the game down the road. He’s a fun inclusion in the biggest trade in baseball history.

It’s potentially one of the most monumental trades in baseball history as Soto will team up with Padres’ franchise cornerstone Fernando Tatis Jr. to anchor San Diego’s lineup for at least the next two-plus seasons before reaching free agency at the end of the 2024 campaign. The 23-year-old offensive force has already established himself as a generational slugger with a sublime .291/.427/.538 batting line with 119 home runs and 38 steals in 565 games since 2018. He leads the majors in walks with an astounding 91 free passes this season, in addition to racking up 21 home runs and six steals in 436 plate appearances. This is the definition of a historic trade.

Susana didn’t allow a hit or a walk, and the only baserunner came on a hit-by-pitch. The right-hander has yet to allow a run in his seven innings of work in the ACL league, and he’s struck out nine against one free pass. Considered one of -- if not the -- best pitching prospects in last year’s IFA class, Susana is already a massive 6-foot-6, 235-pounds, and he shows four pitches including a fastball that can get into the upper 90s. The secondary pitches are just average at best at this point, but the arm talent is obvious. Susana is a name that is worth keeping an eye on in deeper dynasty formats, as there’s definitely upside in his profile.