After tearing through Low-A, Travis Sykora has the chance to be the next great Nationals starter
During the 2024 season, no Nationals prospect raised their stock more than 20 year old right handed pitcher Travis Sykora. While he was only a third round pick, the Nats gave Sykora a 2.6 million dollar bonus, more than double the 1.02 million dollar slot value. The Nationals braintrust was clearly high on Sykora, but his season went better than they even expected.
Sykora outclassed his low-A competition all season long. In 20 starts, he posted a 2.33 ERA in 85 innings. Even more impressive was his 129 strikeouts compared to only 27 walks this season. Sykora demonstrated a combination of overwhelming stuff and solid command. He looked more farm more advanced than most high school pitchers in their first professional season. Sykora would have been capable of performing in high-A, but the Nationals did not want to rush the youngster.
Travis Sykora is the prototypical Texan flamethrower. The Round Rock, Texas native is a commanding presence on the mound, with a massive 6’6 232 pound frame. While he has a funky delivery with a lot of moving parts, he manages to repeat it and throws plenty of strikes. His fastball has hit the triple digits in the past, but he mostly sat in the mid-90’s this season. However, he can get it into the upper 90’s when he needs to.
Sykora pairs his plus fastball with two above average secondary pitches, a slider and a splitter. While splitters have become all the rage recently, Sykora has been throwing his long before it was cool. Evaluators are split about which pitch is better, with some preferring his splitter, and others liking his sweeping slider. However, scouts agree both are above average pitches with plus potential.
Sykora looks like the complete package right now. However, he will need to prove he can dominate higher levels of the minors. Having only pitched in low-A, Sykora still has plenty to prove. He should start next season in high-A Wilmington, but if he starts well, don’t be surprised to see him promoted aggressively. Now that he has gotten his feet wet, don’t be surprised to see the Nationals push him more aggressively, both in terms of innings and promotions.
On his current trajectory, Sykora should make his big league debut sometime in 2026. If he has a massive 2025, a September call up might be possible. However, as we saw with Cade Cavalli, injuries can derail these plans in the blink of an eye.
Once Dylan Crews graduates, Sykora will be the number one prospect in the Nationals system. He has true ace upside, and is still just 20 years old. If Sykora has a big 2025, he has a chance to catapult up prospect rankings, and become a top 10 prospect. He has the prototypical size, big velocity, quality secondary pitches, and good command. As of right now, there isn’t much not to like about Sykora. Before that happens, we will need to see him perform against the more advanced hitters he will face in high-A and beyond. However, it looks like the Nationals have a gem on their hands.