MLB Pipeline’s final Top 100 prospects list for 2026 includes four Washington Nationals names, a solid showing for an organization that has remade its young talent base under former interim general manager Mike DeBartolo and current president of baseball operations Paul Toboni.
The group is led by Eli Willits, the 2025 No. 1 overall pick, who has already rocketed through the system and finished the year at Double-A. Across 129 minor league games, the 18-year-old hit .269/.405/.452 with 64 stolen bases, 14 home runs, 49 extra-base hits and 74 RBIs.
He was once ranked as high as No. 4 overall in baseball, and even though he closed 2026 outside the top five, the upside is obvious. Only shortstop Jesus Made of the Milwaukee Brewers, shortstop Franklin Arias of the Boston Red Sox, infielder Leo De Vries of the Athletics, outfielder Josue De Paula of the Los Angeles Dodgers and left-handed pitcher Kade Anderson of the Seattle Mariners are ranked ahead of him.
Travis Sykora stayed inside the top 50 despite missing all of 2026 because of Tommy John surgery, which tells you how highly evaluators still think of him. The right-hander was dominant in 2025, posting a 1.79 ERA in 12 starts, including the four earned runs he allowed at Double-A while dealing with the elbow issue that eventually led to surgery. He also struck out 79 and walked 17 in 45 1/3 innings, the kind of line that keeps frontline-starter projections very much alive if he gets back to that form after the long layoff.
Seaver King was one of the biggest movers on the list, jumping 17 spots from No. 68 to No. 51 after a strong 2026 season. After tearing up the Arizona Fall League following a disappointing 2025, the former first-round pick put himself in position to potentially reach the big league roster before the season ended, though that never came to pass.
The 23-year-old hit .336/.427/.562 with five homers, 18 extra-base hits and 27 RBIs in 35 games at Double-A Harrisburg before moving to Triple-A, where he finished with a .289/.361/.497 line, 16 home runs, 32 extra-base hits and 47 RBIs over 77 games. MLB Pipeline singled him out as one of the biggest risers of 2026, and he looks like a future impact player for Washington with a chance to be on the major league diamond as soon as Opening Day in 2027.
Jarlin Susana rounds out the Nationals’ top-100 contingent at No. 66, which says plenty about the depth of Washington’s system given the kind of arm he brings. The right-hander missed most of 2026 after lat surgery last year, a setback that wiped out the possibility of an MLB debut during the season. Still, he made his Triple-A debut and will head to the Arizona Fall League, where he has a chance to turn heads and keep climbing as he works toward a future Nationals debut.
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Jarlin Susana Just Gave Nationals Fans Another Reason To Dream
Jarlin Susanas Arizona Fall League debut gave the Nationals another reminder of why his arm carries so much intrigue. Back from injury and pitching in this setting for the first time, the right-hander worked 3 1/3 innings and flashed the kind of power stuff that keeps him near the top of Washingtons prospect conversation, pairing a lively fastball with a slider that helped him finish with four strikeouts.
The outing did not start cleanly, as Susana had to work through control trouble in the opening inning, but he gradually found his rhythm and showed better command as the night went on. More than anything, it was another encouraging step in a year defined by getting healthy and building back up, and it marked only the second time he has gotten into the fourth inning this season. [Read more 🡒]
Nationals Rebuild Could Hit A New Level Sooner Than Fans Think
The Nationals rebuild already has a few names circling near the top of the organizations long-term plans, and two of the most intriguing are Seaver King and Eli Willits. Both are viewed as premium prospects in Washingtons farm system, the sort of talents that can change the direction of a rebuild if they develop on schedule and handle the climb through the minors the way the club hopes.
Former MLB general manager Jim Bowden offered a timeline that could bring that future into focus sooner than expected, pointing to 2027 as a possible arrival point for both players. King is seen as the likelier bet to reach Washington if health cooperates, while Willits route would hinge more on how he starts the early part of that season, leaving the Nationals with two young names worth tracking closely as the organization keeps building toward the next wave. [Read more 🡒]
James Wood Gave Nationals Fans Hope And One Lingering Concern
James Woods 2026 season gave Nationals fans plenty to feel good about, starting with the kind of power surge that makes a young hitter look like a centerpiece. He finished with 30 home runs and an .891 OPS, and the underlying contact quality backed up the production. Even before the All-Star break, he had already piled up 28 homers, giving Washington a long look at the sort of impact bat it has been trying to build around.
Still, the back half of the season left one lingering concern for a player who otherwise kept trending toward stardom. Woods second-half production faded as his swing and power dipped, and his final line settled at 4.1 WAR, a reminder that even in a breakthrough year there was some unevenness beneath the surface. The talent is obvious, but the way the season finished left the Nationals with one question worth watching closely moving forward. [Read more 🡒]