Dylan Crews, Travis Sykora and Jarlin Susana appear on the Baseball America top 100
As we inch towards the start of Spring Training, now is the time that many outlets release their top 100 prospect lists. Today, Baseball America, one of the biggest prospect outlets going released their list. Newly minted Dodger Roki Sasaki ranked as the number 1 prospect.
That list included three Nationals. Obviously, Dylan Crews was the teams top prospect, ranking 6th overall. This is a slight fall from the top 3 listings we are used to for Crews, but he is still extremely highly regarded. His ‘fall’ had more to do with some other guys having extraordinary seasons than Crews doing anything wrong. The inclusion of Sasaki, a seasoned professional also cost Crews a spot. Crews still has plus grades for all five tools.
The second National ranked is Travis Sykora, who places at 59th on the list. Sykora tore through Low-A last season, putting up gaudy numbers. He was listed as one of the 10 prospects primed to rise up the rankings this year. If he can replicate his Low-A performance at higher levels, he could become a top 20 prospect this time next year. Sykora has the stuff and the mentality to be a high end starting pitcher.
The last Nationals on the list is Jarlin Susana, who is slotted in at number 67. The Dominican fireballer was acquired in the Juan Soto trade back in 2022, but had his breakout this past year. Armed with a triple digit fastball, and a plus slider, the sky is the limit for Susana. As the season went along, Susana began to throw more strikes and utilize his explosive stuff more effectively.
Notably, Brady House is off of the top 100 list. Presumed to be the third baseman of the future in DC, House struggled in 2024. He chased too many pitches, with serious refinement to his approach needed. There is still a lot of upside, but House’s star has dimmed in the last year. However, with a strong start, he will get an opportunity to lock down the starting third base spot.
With the graduation of James Wood, and the regression of Brady House, the Nats farm system isn’t as strong at the top, but it is still a solid system. Guys like Sykora and Susana have broken out, and could rise even further up the prospect ranks this year. With the Nats securing the number 1 overall pick in the 2025 draft, the Nationals will get a massive boost to their system in July. Not only will they get the guy they select at number one, but they will also be able to grab high upside prospects later in the draft due to the massive bonus pool that comes with the first pick.
Despite Dylan Crews graduating soon, the Nats prospect pool could be even better in 12 months than it is right now.