Jarlin Susana is making sure the Nationals remember exactly why he was such a name to watch heading toward 2026.
The 22-year-old right-hander is still working his way back from a torn lat that required surgery at the end of last year, which makes a major league debut this season look unlikely. But the rehab process hasn’t dulled the one trait that makes him stand out: the fastball. According to Spencer Nusbaum of The Athletic, Susana is already back to triple digits, and he’s left a veteran reliever shaking his head along the way.
"Nationals reliever Max Kranick had never seen anything like it," wrote Nusbaum. "He spent his first month with the organization rehabbing with Susana at the team's complex in Florida.
One day, he stopped and stared as Susana took a running start and delivered a max effort throw. The radar read 106 mph.
In his first bullpen, Susana hit 102."
That kind of heat jumps off the page, and it also underscores a simple truth about Washington’s current pitching staff: nobody on the MLB roster brings that kind of velocity. Cade Cavalli is the hardest thrower in the group, with his four-seamer averaging 96.6 mph, which ranks No. 71 in the majors, per Baseball Savant.
Gus Varland sits at 95.1 mph, but he’s back in the minors because consistency has been an issue. Justin Lawrence averages 95.7 mph, though he’s only appeared once for the Nationals since being claimed off waivers and has struggled this season.
Susana has been climbing for a while now, and the production has matched the stuff. Last year at Double-A, he posted a 3.61 ERA in 11 starts while piling up 79 strikeouts in 47 1/3 innings.
For now, Washington still sees him as a starter, even with the obvious relief risk that comes with a high-octane four-seamer and a nasty slider. Once he’s back in game action later this season, the Nationals plan to keep building him up in that role until the point comes when a bullpen move becomes necessary.
Either way, the organization has something special here. And after the kind of rehab work Susana has put together - including turning heads with Max Kranick in Florida - it looks like the Nationals may not have to wait long to see what he can do in the nation’s capital.
In Other News...
Nationals Just Sent Another Bullpen Message With Fridays Roster Moves
Fridays bullpen shuffling came against a backdrop of the Nationals affiliates grinding through another full slate, with Rochester, Harrisburg, Wilmington and Fredericksburg all turning in the kind of nightly mix of pitching lines, game results and individual standouts that front offices keep a close eye on. It was the sort of minor league snapshot that reminds you how much of the organizations day-to-day evaluation happens far from Washington, where every outing can nudge a relievers standing or a prospects timeline.
There were also a few offensive notes worth filing away, including Yoyo Morales continuing to pile up power and Phillip Glasser extending a productive run of multi-hit games. Even so, the bigger takeaway for the Nationals is the message sent by the roster moves themselves, which suggest the club is still sorting through the edges of its bullpen picture and not waiting long to make another adjustment when it thinks the fit is no longer there. [Read more 🡒]
Nationals Bring Back A Familiar Arm As Bullpen Depth Shifts Again
The Nationals have added a familiar left-handed arm back into the organization, signing Konnor Pilkington to a minor league contract and sending him to Triple-A Rochester. Pilkington already knows the Washington system from last season, when he spent time with the club before moving on in free agency, and his return gives the team another experienced depth option as it continues sorting through its bullpen mix.
Pilkington arrives after a stop with Detroits Triple-A affiliate, where he was released last week, and he now gets another chance to work his way back into Washingtons plans. The move comes as the Nationals keep adjusting the back end of their pitching depth, with the organization looking for arms that can provide cover if the major league bullpen needs another reset. [Read more 🡒]
Max Kranick Is Giving Nationals Fans A Reason To Hope
Max Kranick is starting to look like one of the more encouraging pitching developments on the Nationals radar. The right-hander, signed in May while working back from flexor tendon surgery, has been getting his feet under him in rehab outings at Harrisburg, and the early returns have been steady enough to matter. His stuff has shown up, his command has been sharp, and the overall picture is of a pitcher beginning to find a rhythm again rather than merely checking boxes on the way back.
Through four rehab appearances, Kranick has yet to issue a walk in 5.2 innings and has posted a 3.18 ERA, which is exactly the kind of clean work Washington can use to map out the next phase. The organization is expected to keep stretching him toward tougher assignments, with back-to-back throwing days and AAA appearances likely next before any conversation about a return to the major league bullpen gets serious. [Read more 🡒]