Jarlin Susana’s return to the mound pays off, as he wins AFL Pitcher of the Year

Jarlin Susana, a Nationals pitching prospect, finished the Arizona Fall League season as the league’s Pitcher of the Year, turning a late start back into a full-bore showcase of velocity, spin, and strikeout punch.

The through-line for Susana’s fall was workload and reps. MLB reported that he threw just 76 2/3 innings over the previous two years combined, missed time in 2025 with a UCL sprain, and then had season-ending lat surgery that kept him out until August of this year.

When he arrived in Arizona, Susana’s stated objective was straightforward: get meaningful, competitive mound time. MLB described him as sticking with his “original recipe,” including staying committed to how he shapes his pitches, while making only minor adjustments to arm positioning.

The results came quickly. MLB reported that Susana topped out at 103.8 mph in his first Fall League start, reached triple digits with both a riding four-seamer and sinking two-seamer, and paired that with a high-spin slider.

Across 18 2/3 innings in Fall League regular-season action, MLB reported Susana led the league with 26 strikeouts. He then added five more strikeouts in a Salt River playoff quarterfinal, per the team’s season coverage.

MLB’s Statcast and Synergy notes underlined how hard hitters had to work to see sustained seams. Susana averaged 100.7 mph with his fastballs over six starts plus his Fall Stars Game outing, and he reportedly threw the majority of the Fall League’s hardest-thrown fastballs, with 165 pitches at 100.0 mph or harder (87.8 percent of his own 100-plus offerings).

He also posted big swing-and-miss results with his breaking ball. MLB reported a 76 percent miss rate on 3000+ rpm breaking pitches, and it said he added different looks, including slider and curve labels, while experimenting with a sweeper at times.

The main remaining question was command and efficiency rather than stuff. MLB reported that he walked 13 batters in 18 2/3 innings this fall and carried a 4.8 BB/9 rate in his Minor League career, while finishing third in the Fall League in batting average against (.162) and fifth in K/9 (12.54).