During the 2024 season, no Nationals prospect’s stock increased more than 20-year-old right-handed pitcher Travis Sykora. He was only a third-round pick, but the Nats gave Sykora $2.6 million. bonusThat’s more than double the slot’s value of $1.02 million. The Nationals’ brains clearly had a lot of faith in Sikora, but his season went better than expected.
Sikora excelled in low-A competition throughout the season. In 20 starts, he Posted He pitched 85 innings with a 2.33 ERA. Even more impressive, he had 129 strikeouts this season compared to just 27 walks. Sykora demonstrated a combination of overwhelming content and solid command. He appeared to be more advanced on the farm than most high school pitchers in their first professional season. Sykora would have had the ability to play in High-A, but the Nationals weren’t going to rush the youngster.
Travis Sykora is the quintessential Texas flamethrower. The Round Rock, Texas, native is 6’6, 232 pounds and has a commanding presence on the mound. While he has funky delivery With a lot of moving parts, he managed to repeat it and throw a lot of strikes. His fastball has hit triple digits in the past, but this season it’s mostly been in the mid-90s. However, it can be raised to the low 90s if necessary.
Sikora combines his signature fastball with two above-average second pitches: a slider and a splitter. Splitters are all the rage these days, and Sykora is throwing long. before it gets cold. Evaluators are divided on which pitch is better, with some preferring his splitter and others preferring his pitch. sweep slider. However, scouts agree that both are above-average pitchers with positive potential.
Sykora seems like a complete package for now. But he will need to prove he can dominate the higher levels of the minors. Sykora, who has only pitched in Low-A, still has a lot to prove. He’ll start next season at High-A Wilmington, and if he starts well, I wouldn’t be surprised if he moves up aggressively. Now that he’s in full swing, don’t be surprised to see the Nationals push him more aggressively, both in terms of innings and promotion.
On his current trajectory, Sykora should make his major league debut sometime in 2026. If significant results are achieved in 2025, there is a possibility of convening in September. But as we saw with Cade Cavalli, injuries can derail those plans in the blink of an eye.
Sykora will be the No. 1 prospect in the Nationals system once Dylan Cruz graduates. He has the talent of a true ace and is only 20 years old. If Sykora makes a big jump in 2025, he could jump up the prospect rankings and have a chance to break into the top 10. He has typical size, great speed, a quality second pitch, and good command. There’s really not much to dislike about Sykora at this point. Before that happens, we’ll need to see him perform against the more advanced hitters he’ll face in High-A and beyond. But the Nationals appear to have a gem on their hands.
