After trading away franchise player and perennial All-Star Juan Soto, the Washington Nationals entered an age of rebuilding. Three years later, MacKenzie Gore and James Wood lead the team on both sides of the ball. Additionally, CJ Abrams has shown signs of being their shortstop of the future, and Jarlin Susana has shown signs of greatness in the minor leagues. Despite all of this, however, their 2023 third-round pick, Travis Sykora, may be their best budding prospect. Despite being a third-round pick, Sykora had gone 7-0 with a 0.84 ERA over 58 innings in his last high school season and was seen as a top-40 draft talent.
Profiling Nationals Pitching Prospect Travis Sykora
Minor League Career
In his first professional season with the Low-A Fredericksburg Nationals, Sykora made 20 starts. In those starts, he posted a 2.33 ERA with a 0.906 WHIP over 85 innings. Over the season, he struck out 129 batters while only giving up 27 walks, a 4.78 K/BB ratio. That rate would be the 11th best in the majors so far this season.
Following a successful first season, Sykora dealt with a hip injury in the offseason, causing him to miss the start of the 2025 season. When he returned, he made two shutout starts in Low-A before moving up to High-A. So far, he has made four starts, pitching to a 1.00 ERA and a 0.500 WHIP over 18 innings. He has struck out 32 batters and limited his walks to only two. Additionally, opponents are only hitting .117 off the 6’6″ right-hander, who has given up only seven hits at the High-A level so far.
Travis Sykora’s numbers this season are just stupid good.
8 GS, 29 IP, 9 H, 3 ER, 5 BB, 55 K
0.93 ERA, 0.48 WHIP, 5% BB, 54.5% K#Natitude pic.twitter.com/3juFTYAxrY— Eric Cross (@EricCrossMLB) June 13, 2025
Sykora manages to do this with his three-pitch arsenal featuring a fastball, splitter, and slider. His fastball sits at 94-97 and will occasionally touch triple digits. This is in combination with a wipeout slider and a low-spin fading splitter to keep hitters honest. The biggest downside, however, is his reliance on getting chases on his pitches to be very effective. Hitters at a higher level may find more success by sitting back and making him throw more strikes, which could lead to trouble.
What’s Next for Travis Sykora and the Nationals?
With Sykora still only being in High-A, the chances of seeing him in Triple-A this year are low. However, if he starts the 2026 season at Double-A, there is a slight chance for him to make it by the season’s end. That leaves the 2027 season for him to make his debut for the Nationals and establish himself. The Nationals are hoping it goes quicker, as they currently have the fourth-worst team ERA this year and need improvements to their rotation. Once Sykora does come up, he should be a front-line starter alongside MacKenzie Gore for a young Nationals team.
Photo Credit: © Henry Huey/Special to American-Statesman / USA TODAY NETWORK
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