Three Nats Make the BA Top 100
For the third straight year, the Nats have placed three prospects among Baseball America’s 2026 Top 100 prospects.
Also like a year ago, two of three are here for the first time. Very much like years past, the third is ranked despite injury and offseason surgery
We’ll start with the New Kids on the Block, who we’re told have the right stuff, and then take a look at the one hanging tough.
ELI WILLITS (#31)
Like the Nats’ last 1-1 (Harper), Willits reclassified to make himself draft-eligible a year early. Eli also checks the Nats’ fetish for legacies box (son of Reggie, Angels OF). However, unlike legends such as Shane McCatty or Mariano Rivera, Willits is a five-tool prospect who just needs to “grow into his man body” and improve his exit velocity. Scouts do not think he’ll move off shortstop. Whether he returns to the southern ‘Burg or heads up 95 to Death Vall…er, Frawley is anyone’s guess.
HARRY FORD (#99)
Ford was acquired last month in a “Cyrano-for-Solo” trade with Seattle. Drafted out of HS in 2021, the Georgia native has played one season at all five domestic levels and made his MLB debut last September after posting a solid .868 OPS in AAA. There are questions about his defense, which led the Mariners to briefly try him in LF for eight games in ’24, but scouts now believe he’s tightened up his receiving from fringy to average. Expected to compete for a Opening Day assignment, though one would have to think that if he’s not the starter, he’ll be sent to Rochester to play every day.
JARLIN SUSANA (#68
“Fun” fact: Susana is the lone player acquired for Juan Soto in 2022 still in the Nats minors. That he is ranked and not Travis Sykora is probably (definitely) because the projection of a midseason return (vs. see you in ’27). When healthy, Susana boasts a triple-digit four-seamer, a high-90s two seamer, a low-to-mid-90s “changeup,” and a mid-80s slider with “curveball action.” Fearless prediction: Susana will be kept in Florida and on the road until his return to AA or AAA in August or September.
We now return you to your January loathing, and the usual weatherpersons barely concealing their excitement for snow they don’t have to shovel.
with all the talk focused on improved tech and technique I’ll be watching the way the prospects are placed and promoted. I could never detect a consistent philosophy from the prior organization.
I will continue to be mystified by the uneven and illogical treatment of injured prospects.
At this time last year, Sykora featured at #59 on both BA and BP’s lists, and #70 on MLB (jumping to #49 mid-2025).
Susana, for his part, was #67, #47 and #79 (and #87 mid season) on these 3 lists last year.
In 2025, both pitchers played between Wilmington and Harrisburg, with Sykora performing better than Susana in every way.
In the meantime, Susana and Sykora both got injured around 7 weeks apart; not a meaningfully different timeline, or making any difference in their playing time (Sykora threw 45 IP and Susana threw 56). Susana is expected to now miss about a year to injury (BA says Aug/Sep after getting injured in August), while Sykora will miss a bit more than a year (back in 2027 after getting injured in July 2025).
And with that in mind, Susana jumps up about 20 spots and Sykora falls over 40. TJ recovery is no longer such a high-risk surgery. I don’t know what kind of risk is associated with lat surgery, but I’d presume it’s less than TJ, but still not “good” for a pitcher. So why is Sykora dinged while Susana is boosted? I don’t understand.
maybe because Sykora had hip problems as well
But probably just because of the words “triple-digit”
Susana was also dealing with elbow problems in May, which caused him to miss 2.5 months.
I know it’s a bit petty, but I just don’t understand why injuries are used as a strike against some players, and multiple injuries to another is justification to bump them up 20 spots in the rankings.
It’s not just Susana. Andrew Painter, a prospect for the Phillies, was ranked #5 overall pre-2023. From 2023-2024, he threw 15 total innings after dealing with multiple serious injuries, and after all that, he entered the 2025 season ranked…. #9 overall.
Nats deal Gore to the Rangers. In return, the Nats get five players including the Rangers top pick (12 overall) in the 2025 SS Gavin Fein. According to MLB Pipeline, Fein is the Rangers #2 overall prospect, and while he’s currently a SS, MLB Pipeline claims he projects more as 3B or 1B…
The more I read about the return, the worse this deal gets.
Alejandro Rosario looked like a good piece, until I just learned he underwent TJS a few weeks ago, and will miss the entirety of 2026, returning in 2027 at age 25, never having pitched above A+…
Gavin Fien was indeed a highly touted prospect, from the historically low-upside 2025 draft. I haven’t seen any publications list him in the top 100.
Ortiz, Fitz-gerald and Cabrera look like interesting pieces with above average performances, but scouting reports don’t report any plus-plus tools.
I thought the asking price was something like 2 top 100s… I don’t even see one. It’s also telling that everyone except Ortiz is at least three years away from the majors.
I hope we get some more flowery reports as more information comes in.
This is looking like a longer rebuild than even I’d expected.
Agree. Just have to assume that Toboni’s team has different evals on this group than the media that covers prospects. FWIW, Toboni needs to be better than those guys. No top 100 prospects for the Nats best starter with two more seasons of team control is rough.
Regardless the point about the length of the rebuild can’t be denied. This move makes the MLB team much worse next year and probably in 2027 (assuming there is a 2027 season). Nats are headed back into 100 loss territory. That’s just a hard watch.
This is Tito Fuentes speaking ( revelation of that meaning in the future ).
This is a six year rebuild within a two to three year span ( spic and soan Boston style )
Thirty something the revised ABC. Tv show
Why not accumulate deity of every day skilled players especially the infielders .
The arm from Gore deal is 2027-28.
The fireballler for Bennett a work in progress u see the new Jungiam esque pitching matrics philosophy
New hitting philosophies .
The lists from Epstein Island and Bohemian Grove might get released under Lilleth energies before the Nats farm system coaching staffs .
Post that Swamp swamp music , Lynyrd Skynyrd !