Minor League Baseball

Washington Nationals Prospect Travis Sykora Thrives in Return From Offseason Surgery

Travis Sykora racked up six strikeouts in 2.0 innings with the Washington Nationals' affiliate in the Florida Complex League on Saturday, putting his hip surgery behind him.

Sam Connon

Phoenix, Arizona, US; West pitcher Travis Sykora (17) during the Perfect Game All-American Classic high school baseball game at Chase Field.
Phoenix, Arizona, US; West pitcher Travis Sykora (17) during the Perfect Game All-American Classic high school baseball game at Chase Field. / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
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Travis Sykora, who underwent hip surgery this past offseason, shined in his 2025 debut Saturday afternoon.

The Washington Nationals' top prospect made a rehab start in the Florida Complex League showdown against the Houston Astros' rookie-level players, lasting 2.0 innings. While he gave up a single, a walk and a run – due to a balk – Sykora still managed to stuff the stat sheet in his limited time on the mound.

All six outs that Sykora recorded came via strikeouts.

In 20 starts with Single-A Fredericksburg last season, Sykora went 5-3 with a 2.33 ERA, 0.906 WHIP and 13.7 strikeouts per nine innings. He is currently ranked as the No. 1 prospect in the Nationals' farm system and the No. 65 prospect in baseball – 10th highest among right-handed pitchers.

The Nationals took Sykora in the third round of the 2023 MLB Draft, plucking him straight out of Round Rock High School in Texas.

At this rate, Sykora won't spend long in Rookie ball with his injury firmly in the rear-view mirror. It remains to be seen just how quickly the 6-foot-6 hurler rises through the ranks, but his potential has already been put on display.

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Sam Connon
SAM CONNON

Sam Connon is a staff writer for “Minor League Baseball on SI’’ and other "On SI'' baseball sites. He previously covered UCLA Athletics for “UCLA on SI’’ and won awards from the College Media Association and Society of Professional Journalists. Connon also wrote for “New England Patriots on SI’’ and was on the Patriots and Boston Red Sox beats at Prime Time Sports Talk. Follow Sam on Twitter @SamConnon.

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