Travis Sykora might be the next Paul Skenes

Okay, okay. Before I get too deep I want to make it clear that obviously at this time I am not trying to compare arguably the best pitcher in baseball, Pirates righty Paul Skenes, to the Nats' 17th-ranked prospect Travis Sykora. However there are definitely some similarities I would love to touch upon during this article.

We all know about the dominance of Paul Skenes. The big righty was taken first overall in last year's draft, one spot before LSU teammate Dylan Crews, and was expected to be move through the minor leagues quickly and assert his presence in the MLB. After pitching just 6.2 innings in 2023 between Rookie ball, A-ball, and AA combined, Skenes began this season in AAA for Pittsburgh, and was so utterly dominant that the Pirates couldn't help but get him up to the big leagues as soon as they could.

Skenes posted a 0.99 ERA over 27.1 innings with a 0.915 WHIP with 45 strikeouts, prompting the Pirates to give him the call to the bigs on May 11 against the Cubs. Well, in case you've been living under a rock, all Skenes has done since then is dominate. Through his first 15 MLB starts, he has posted a 6-2 record with a 2.25 ERA and 0.957 WHIP, striking out 115 batters over 92 innings, and was even tabbed to start the MLB All Star-Game in Arlington, the first ever #1 pick to make the team as a rookie.

The first thing important to note about Sykora, the Nats' 3rd-round selection last season, has been downright dominant so far in his professional career. His career got off to a bit of a delayed start, as he didn't make his pro debut after being drafted in 2023. However, since being drafted, he has showcased all of the flash and potential that had the Nats going a million over slot to prevent him from honoring his commitment to the University of Texas (horns down from this Baylor Bear, by the way).

While currently ranked as the Nats' #17 prospect on MLB.com, he undoubtedly is trending towards becoming a Top 100 prospect once the rankings update soon, and should be ranked much higher within the Nats organization. Personally, I would have him ranked as the #3 prospect within the organization just behind Dylan Crews and Brady House, with James Wood set to graduate from his prospect status. He should be absolutely untouchable going forward and is the golden arm of this organization's prospects as of now.

As for how he could profile as the next Paul Skenes, here's my reason for saying it. Standing at 6'6" and 232 pounds, Sykora features a similar frame to Skenes, who stands at 6'6" and 235 pounds. While Skenes features an 80-grade fastball that routinely touches triple digits, Sykora features an electric fastball of his own, with a 70-grade pitch that has the ability to touch triple digits. Both of them feature a wipeout slider, with Skenes coming in with a 70-grade while Sykora has a 55-grade slider. Both of them also utilize a devastating off-speed pitch, as Skenes has a 50-grade changeup and Sykora has a 60-grade splitter. There are a lot of similarities in their repertoire, and I believe Sykora could have a Skenes-like rise and progress through the rest of the minor leagues quickly.

Through 15 starts and just 63.1 innings so far this season, Sykora has a 3-3 record with a 2.42 ERA, sparkling 0.85 WHIP, and 96 strikeouts, while often not being allowed to pitch the beyond sixth inning. On Friday, he spearheaded a combined no-hitter for the Low-A Fredericksburg Nationals, striking out 10 batters over 6 no-hit innings. His dominance has been on display a lot recently, as he hasn't allowed a hti in 11 innings now, striking out 18 total batters while walking just one. He has settled in a ton to Low-A Fredericksburg, and should be looking at a promotion to at least High-A in the near future, possibly before the end of the season.

With Skenes being drafted after 4 years of college experience, he was drafted with the intention of moving through the minors quickly and debuting in the show at a fast pace. Sykora, on the other hand, was selected out of high school and even now is just 20-years-old, so his development will take a little bit longer than Skenes, but should give him the chance to grow into his frame a bit more and potentially look to add some muscle as well.

All in all, while Travis Sykora isn't on the same level as Paul Skenes yet, I think there is a world where he blossoms into a similar type of prospect as Skenes and reaches the major leagues much sooner than his 2027 ETA would suggest. I'd look for him to be up in the bigs as soon as 2026, perching himself near the top of the future Nationals' rotation.

What do you think of my comparison of Travis Sykora to Paul Skenes? Do you think he profiles similarly to the best pitcher in the sport? Do you agree with me and think he will arrive closer to 2026? As always, please let me know your thoughts on X, @DCBerk.

All stats in this article were provided by Baseball Reference, MLB.com, and MiLB.com.