Jarlin Susana Reminds Nationals Fans Why He Could Be Special in Dominant Return
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Washington Nationals star pitching prospect Jarlin Susana made his long-awaited return on Tuesday.
He had been out for the entire year after he underwent lat surgery late in the 2025 season. Sent to High-A Wilmington, this was a chance for the flamethrowing right-hander to get back on the mound and show this new regime why he is considered one of the most electric pitchers across the minors.
Susana did exactly that during his outing. The 22-year-old started the game for Wilmington, and he put on a show across his two innings pitched with no hits allowed and two strikeouts with two walks. But it's what he did during this outing that was the real story.
Jarlin Susana Sat in Triple-Digits With His Fastball
Geoff Pontes of Baseball America attended the game on Tuesday to see Susana during his highly-anticipated return to the mound. And based on what Pontes said after Susana departed, it sounds like he was not disappointed.
Pontes reported that Susana sat in the 101-103 mph range with his heater. One of the righty's two-seam fastballs had 20 inches of horizontal break while also hitting that 103 mph mark. That is ridiculous, and it shows just how big-time of an arm that Susana possesses. But some evaluators don't believe his triple-digit fastball is his best pitch. They point to his devastating slider/sweeper as being Susana's greatest offering, and that was on display, too.
Pontes added that Susana threw an 89 mph sweeper that had 15 inches of horizontal break. Pairing that type of movement and velocity dip with a 100 mph-plus fastball is almost impossible for opposing hitters to figure out, and that's one of the reasons why he's been such a strikeout artist during his minor league career, thus far.
Jarlin Susana struck out two batters in the first inning here in Hudson Valley.
— Geoff Pontes (@GeoffPontesBA) August 11, 2026
He sat 101-103 mph, had one two-seamer at 103 mph w/ 20 inches of run.
Threw one sweeper at 89 mph w/ 15 inches of horizontal.
P.S. This gun is 8 years old and I’ve never gotten 103 mph before. pic.twitter.com/pTneH6Fp2w
Fans who have been following Susana since he joined the organization likely won't be surprised by the reports about his velocity. After all, it was well known that he was a flamethrower in the early stages of his career. And even when working his way back after lat surgery, there were reports that he was hitting triple-digits once again.
However, it's great to see him doing it in a game setting. Throwing bullpen sessions is one thing. But it's a whole lot different when facing live batters who are opponents and not part of the same organization.
Susana clearly has a bright future. Whether that's as a starting pitcher or as a high-leverage reliever remains to be seen. But following his dominant showing in what was his long-awaited return to the mound, the 22-year-old reminded Nationals fans why he could be special.
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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