RHP Travis Sykora out of Texas is the 40th-ranked overall prospect on MLB.com’s list for the upcoming MLB Draft. Out of Round Rock, Texas, Sykora has wowed scouts with his fastball, occasionally hitting triple digits. It is the fastest of any high school pitcher in this year’s draft class. Committed to the University of Texas, he has the option to start a college career and be eligible for the draft again in 2025. He already has the frame of a pro athlete at age 19 and has plenty of room to grow both physically and talent-wise. Here is a closer look at Travis Sykora’s talent on the mound and how his game could develop before reaching the majors.
Travis Sykora MLB Draft Profile
Scouting grades (MLB.com): Fastball: 70 | Slider: 55 | Splitter: 60 | Control: 50 | Overall: 50
Strengths
Sykora is already an intimidating presence on the hill. He stands at 6’6” and 232 lbs. This helps power his fastball, which lives in the high 90s on average but has maxed out at 101 mph. Sykora’s big windup supplements his velocity, and it also allows him to fool hitters by repeating this motion. His repertoire also includes a splitter and slider, both in the mid-80s. The splitter has late downward movement capable of frustrating batters. Sykora’s fastball control has been another strength in his high school career, and maintaining that should help him become effective at any level.
Travis Sykora (@travissykora1) was great on the hill tonight. The flame throwing RHP went 4 shutout IP with 5K and 1H.
FB: 94-100
SL: 84-87
CH: 86
Pocket Radar Five Tool #100Club@Rockhardball (TX) 2023 • @TexasBaseball signee@FiveToolSTXProfile: https://t.co/Qe0XNrLCiY https://t.co/SMZy74jJZ5 pic.twitter.com/mBjGYVRCwr
— Five Tool Baseball (@FiveTool) March 8, 2023
Weaknesses
The fastball is by far Sykora’s most dominant pitch. While his slider and splitter (some sources have referred to it as a changeup) show potential, he has occasionally struggled to command these pitches. As it stands, Sykora as a raw product is a power pitcher. His physical frame may cause him to over-rely on the fastball, especially if he continues to succeed with it. While plenty of pitchers have relied heavily on the fastball at the major-league level, it’s hard to lean on it exclusively. If he struggles to improve his command on his off-speed stuff, he runs the risk of major-league hitters quickly adjusting when he’s starting. There is plenty of room for Sykora to improve his secondary pitches, in terms of both command and velocity. If he succeeds in this, he can become a more dynamic threat on the mound.
Travis Sykora Current Player Comparison
St. Louis Cardinals legend Adam Wainwright is relatively reminiscent of Sykora both physically and mechanically. Wainwright sports a similarly intimidating frame at 6’7” and 230 lbs. While his fastball doesn’t pack the punch of Sykora’s, he has a similar secondary arsenal, throwing mid-80s cutters and changeups. Additionally, Wainwright mixes in a low-90s sinker and a lower-velocity curveball. His cutters and curves have particularly effective movement.
Wainwright has thrived in the big leagues by developing strong secondary pitches with movement. While Sykora currently relies way more on the fastball, he has the potential to develop a similar degree of finesse to Wainwright and have a long, prosperous career.
Photo Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Players Mentioned: Travis Sykora, Adam Wainwright
