The Arizona Fall League opened with two young players taking different routes to the same weekly honor: Welbyn Francisca filled up the box score for Surprise, while Jarlin Susana brought triple-digit life to Salt River’s pitching staff. Francisca, the Cleveland Guardians infielder, was selected as the circuit’s first Hitter of the Week in 2026, and Susana, Washington’s hard-throwing right-hander, earned Pitcher of the Week.
Francisca carries a breakout season into the desert
- Francisca began his Fall League stay with a five-hit game for the Surprise Saguaros, immediately putting himself in the middle of the league’s opening-week offense.
- Across four games, the 20-year-old drove home seven runs and led the Arizona Fall League with a .556 batting average, a .944 slugging percentage and a 1.563 OPS.
- The strong start followed a regular season in which the Guardians’ No. 19 prospect climbed three minor league levels and reached Double-A before the calendar closed.
- In 79 games during that climb, Francisca posted an .879 OPS and hit 19 home runs.
- Most of his work came with High-A Lake County, where he batted .277 with a .356 on-base percentage and .538 slugging mark. He produced 13 homers, 31 extra-base hits and 49 RBIs in 65 games before moving to Double-A Akron.
- His Akron assignment made him one of the Eastern League’s youngest players, and the Fall League has given him another chance to show that his bat can stay loud against older competition.
Susana’s fastball makes an early statement
Susana’s road has been more about availability than ability. When the Nationals’ No. 4 prospect has been able to take the ball, his raw stuff has remained as imposing as any arm in the developmental game.
- Over two starts for the Salt River Rafters, Susana worked 5 2/3 innings, allowed one earned run and struck out eight hitters.
- In his first outing, he reached 103.4 mph with his fastball.
- He later exceeded that reading, touching 103.8 mph.
- The heater has been paired with a slider that has spun in the 2,900-to-3,000 rpm range, giving hitters another problem after they have tried to catch up to the velocity.
| Player | Arizona Fall League club | Week 1 honor | Opening-week line |
|---|---|---|---|
| Welbyn Francisca | Surprise Saguaros | Hitter of the Week | .556 average, .944 slugging, 1.563 OPS, 7 RBIs in 4 games |
| Jarlin Susana | Salt River Rafters | Pitcher of the Week | 5 2/3 innings, 1 earned run, 8 strikeouts across 2 starts |
A short regular season, then a bigger stage
Susana was held to eight regular-season starts, then made a one-start appearance with Triple-A Rochester. Even in only 20 1/3 innings, the right-hander struck out 37 while issuing 11 walks. He entered the Fall League ranked No. 66 among MLB prospects, and his first week offered a reminder of why his ceiling remains so high.
For Francisca, it was the bat carrying a rising season forward. For Susana, it was the fastball, the slider and another chance to stay on the mound. The desert schedule is young, but both players made sure the opening week had their names on it.
