Travis Sykora

20-Year-Old PitcherP
Washington Nationals A
2025 Fantasy Outlook
Sykora looks like a potential SP1 if he reaches his ceiling, but he's still just 20 and has yet to pitch above Single-A. A 6-foot-6 righty with very easy upper-90s fastball velocity (touches 99 mph), Sykora was an over-slot ($2.6M bonus) third rounder in the 2023 draft. He logged a 2.33 ERA, 0.91 WHIP and 31.0 K-BB% in 85 innings across 20 starts for Fredericksburg. Sykora's changeup and slider each flashed plus in his first full season, and those pitches, along with his fastball velocity, should only tick up in the coming years. It will be all about keeping his delivery in sync, given his long levers, and staying healthy, but if Sykora avoids a major setback, he could finish 2025 as the No. 1 pitching prospect in baseball. Read Past Outlooks
RANKS
From Preseason
$Signed a $2.6 million contract with the Nationals in July of 2023.
Wrapping up breakout campaign
PWashington Nationals  A
August 20, 2024
Sykora has a 2.51 ERA, 0.87 WHIP and 101:22 K:BB through 16 starts (68 innings) for Single-A Frederickburg.
ANALYSIS
The right-hander, a third-round pick out of a Texas high school in the 2023 First-Year Player Draft, didn't turn 20 years until late April, but he's been utterly dominant in his first pro campaign. Sykora has combined a fastball that sits 95-97 mph with a rapidly improving slider and splitter, and he's gotten stronger as the season has progressed -- he fired six perfect innings with 10 strikeouts against Carolina on Aug. 9, the first time in his career he'd worked more than five frames in a start. The Nationals won't push him up the ladder too quickly given his age, but a 2026 big-league debut isn't off the table if he continues developing at his current pace.
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More Fantasy News
Turning heads this spring
PWashington Nationals  A
March 20, 2024
Sykora has been sitting 96-97 mph with his fastball in camp, Sam Dykstra of MLB.com reports.
ANALYSIS
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Gets big over-slot bonus
PWashington Nationals  A
July 18, 2023
Sykora received a $2.6 million signing bonus from the Nationals on Monday, well above the $1.02 million slot value for the 71st overall pick in the 2023 Draft, Jesse Dougherty of the Washington Post reports.
ANALYSIS
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First pick of Day 2
PWashington Nationals  A
July 10, 2023
The Nationals have selected Sykora with the 71st overall pick in the 2023 First-Year Player Draft.
ANALYSIS
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