Could Jarlin Susana Debut Early for Nationals in 2026?
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CJ Abrams, James Wood and MacKenzie Gore are all starring for the Washington Nationals.
That is a great hit rate for their return in the blockbuster Juan Soto deal that shook up the baseball world ahead of the 2022 trade deadline. But two more players from that package could become factors for the Nationals in the near future, as Robert Hassell III made his MLB debut this past season and Jarlin Susana continues to impress on the farm.
When it comes to Susana, it's fair to wonder when he might join the others on Washington's big league roster. Now 21 years old, he put together the best professional season he's had since his rookie year with a 3.51 ERA across 14 starts at the High-A and Double-A levels.
Jarlin Susana Predicted to Make MLB Debut in 2026
There are expectations for Susana to make his major league debut in 2026. MLB Pipeline has his ETA for next season and Jeremy Hasson of District on Deck has listed the flamethrower as the No. 1 option for prospects who could get called up next year.
Considering the Nationals are in desperate need of big-time starting pitchers after what was on display this past season, it wouldn't be a shock to see Susana get aggressively promoted through the pipeline in 2026 based on the elite strikeout stuff he has.
But the question becomes whether he is going to be a late-season call-up or if he's going to be a featured part of Washington's big league rotation early on in the 2026 campaign?
Analyzing When Jarlin Susana Could Get Promoted to MLB
The first thing that has to be highlighted when it comes to Susana is that he had season-ending lat surgery in September. Because of that, how he prepares for next year could be limited as he recovers from that procedure.
Hopefully, he suffers no setbacks and is able to continue building on what he did this past season when he made 11 starts for Double-A Harrisburg and posted a 3.61 ERA with a ridiculous 79 strikeouts in 47 1/3 innings pitched.
The main thing Susana has to improve upon before Washington trusts him in the bigs is his control. While he has absurd strikeout stuff, he's also walked 142 batters across 280 career innings. That, combined with 212 hits given up, has his WHIP at a mark of 1.32, which is a bit concerning for someone with the elite fastball and strikeout numbers he possesses.
That could hold him back from climbing up the ranks quickly next year, because not only does he need to show improvement in Double-A to start the season, but he also has to prove himself against Triple-A competition.
Prediction
While the strategy of the new front office isn't known and they could be willing to fast-track multiple high-end pitching prospects to see what they can do at the major league level, it feels like Susana still has a ways to go before he gets a shot in The Show.
Showing improvement with his command and limiting hits to start the season in Double-A could have him on the doorstep of Major League Baseball. But it's not a given that's going to happen. Because of that, I don't think Susana will debut until the second half of the year.
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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