The great folks over at Baseball America released their top 100 list today. There are three Nationals on the list, with two more that are probably close calls. The three top 100 guys are Eli Willits, Jarlin Susana and Harry Ford. Willits is the highest ranked National at 31st. Susana checks in at 68th, while Ford just snuck on to the list at 99th.
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America is probably my favorite prospect service. They are very up to date and are unafraid to change things up. The only thing I would push back on is not having Travis Sykora in the top 100. Sure, he underwent Tommy John Surgery, but he was one of the most dominant pitchers in the minors before going down. At 21, he is still a young pitcher as well.
Despite that snub, it is exciting to have three Nats in the top 100. All of them are a little lower than I would probably have them, but that might just be my personal bias. The folks at BA know a lot more than I do, so I will trust them.
The Nats top prospect is Eli Willits, which is no surprise. He was the first overall pick and had a very strong debut. There are some concerns about his power, but Willits only turned 18 in December. The rest of his game is just so well-rounded and I love his pure hitting ability, as well as his approach.
BA wrote that Willits has a chance for five average or better tools, and is the Nats shortstop of the future. I agree with this assessment, though the power requires some projection. Willits is a no doubt shortstop, who is a super advanced hitter. My personal comparison for him is Geraldo Perdomo, who was a star player for the D-Backs in 2025.
The second highest ranked Nats prospect is Jarlin Susana. Despite a lat injury that could delay his start to the season, Susana is still in BA’s top 75. This is due to his insane stuff. Susana’s fastball has touched 104 MPH according to BA. Even in an era where velocity is king, that kind of heat is rare.
Susana also has a wipeout slider to go with it. He can manipulate the shape of the pitch very well. Sometimes, it looks like a power curveball, but he can also turn it into more of a cutter. Susana also developed a more consistent changeup in 2025, which he threw in the mid-90’s.
The injury probably cost him some spots in the rankings, but his stuff is so electric. He had a rough start to 2025, but really was turning a corner before his injury. Susana was throwing more strikes and looked ready for a 2026 debut. Hopefully he is just as sharp after his injury.
After being acquired for Jose A. Ferrer, Harry Ford just snuck into the top 100. Ford has been a well known prospect for years now, but will finally get his shot in the MLB this year. As Carlos Collazo noted when I interviewed him, there are questions about his defense, which is why he is not higher.
Ford is an exciting offensive catcher though. His contact and power skills are about average, but they play up due to his elite approach. Throughout his career, Ford has been able to get on base at a high level. In 2025, his power also trended upwards, which is a good sign.
He is also a great athlete for a catcher and can steal some bases. The defense needs work, but even that should be better than what the Nats have had in recent years. I understand not having Ford in the top 50 due to his defense and good, but not great upside. However, he is deserving of a top 100 spot, and I am happy to see BA put him on the list.
Travis Sykora missing out makes sense, but I still disagree with the decision. He has top of the rotation upside, which you cannot say for most of the arms on the back end of this top 100 list. We see plenty of pitchers come back better than ever from Tommy John. He was easily a top 50 prospect before the injury, so taking him off the 100 is not something I agree with.
Overall, this list shows the Nats system for what it is. It is a solid system, but not an elite one. The team has a few really nice prospects, but nobody who is truly elite. Willits or Susana could take that step in 2026, but they are not there yet.
In a year, I hope the Nats can have at least five players in the top 100. It would be a good sign that Paul Toboni’s player development plan is working. There is talent in the system, but a lot of these players still have so much to prove.
