Here's Where the Nationals' Prospects Rank on the Final Top 100 Prospects List for 2026
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MLB Pipeline released their final Top 100 prospects list for 2026, and the Washington Nationals had plenty of representatives.
That is a great sign for the future of this franchise, as the young talent throughout this organization has been overhauled under the leadership of former interim general manager Mike DeBartolo and current president of baseball operations Paul Toboni.
However, there are only four Nationals prospects who finished 2026 ranked within the top 100, as others either flirted with that ranking or fell out of it after they once owned a place. Still, having four players all 23 years old or younger considered to be some of the best youngsters in the sport is massive. And this is where they rank within that top 100.
Eli Willits - No. 6
Just about everyone reading this probably knew that Eli Willits was going to be Washington's highest-ranked prospect. The 2025 No. 1 overall pick has been sensational to start his professional career, and he rose all the way up to the Double-A level to close out this season.
Across 129 minor league games, the 18-year-old has a slash line of .269/.405/.452. He's also stolen an eye-catching 64 bags while he added some pop to his game this season with 14 home runs, 49 extra-base hits and 74 RBIs.
While he did end 2026 ranked outside the top five after he was once considered the No. 4 overall prospect in baseball, it's clear the Nationals have a mega-talent on their hands.
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 Willits.
Travis Sykora - No. 48
It's impressive that Travis Sykora not only finished in the top 100 after he missed all of 2026 due to Tommy John surgery. But he remained within the top 50, which shows just how much evaluators like his upside after what he showed in 2025.
The right-hander was sensational in 2025 with a ridiculous 1.79 ERA across 12 starts, and that included the four earned runs he gave up at Double-A when he was dealing with the elbow issue that eventually caused him to undergo surgery. The 79 strikeouts to 17 walks that he had across 45 1/3 innings was head-turning, and he looks like a frontline starter at some point if he can return to his previous form following his lengthy absence.
Seaver King - No. 51
Nationals fans were following what Seaver King did this year closely. After he tore up the Arizona Fall League following a disappointing season in 2025, the former first-round pick has been on a rocket ship trajectory where he could have been called up to the big league roster to close out the 2026 campaign if the front office decided to go in that direction.
King was also highlighted by MLB Pipeline as one of the biggest risers of 2026, as he moved up 17 spots from No. 68 to No. 51 after what he did on the field this past season.
The 23-year-old slashed .336/.427/.562 with five homers, 18 extra-base hits and 27 RBIs across 35 games with Double-A Harrisburg before he was bumped up to Triple-A. There, he slashed .289/.361/.497 with 16 home runs, 32 extra-base hits and 47 RBIs across 77 games.
King looks like a future impact player for Washington, and expect him to be on the major league diamond as soon as Opening Day in 2027.
Jarlin Susana - No. 66
Jarlin Susana came in at No. 66. He was the lowest-ranked Nationals prospect, which says a lot about how much high-end talent is in this pipeline considering Susana possesses one of the best fastball-slider combinations in the entire sport.
The flamethrowing right-hander missed the majority of the 2026 campaign after he underwent lat surgery last year. That was a tough blow, as there were thoughts he could make his MLB debut at some point during the 2026 season if he continued to progress.
While that didn't happen, he still made his Triple-A debut. And with him heading out to the Arizona Fall League, Susana has a chance to turn some heads in the desert, where he will surely be a prospect riser ahead of next year as he looks to debut for the Nationals at some point.
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Brad Wakai graduated from Penn State University with a degree in Journalism. While an undergrad, he worked at the student radio station covering different Penn State athletic programs like football, basketball, volleyball, soccer and other sports. Brad became the Lead Contributor for Nittany Lions Wire of Gannett Media where he continued to cover Penn State athletics. Currently, Brad is the Publisher for Washington Nationals On SI and covers multiple teams across the On SI network. He is the host of the sports podcast I Said What I Said, where he and his co-host discuss topics across the NFL, College Football, the NBA and other sports. You can follow him on Twitter: @bwakai