During the 2023 MLB draft, Travis Sykora thought he would hear his name called on the first night. He was not selected in the first two rounds and was eventually picked as the first selection of the third round by the Washington Nationals. Sykora feels like he landed in the right spot but he took mental notes of players drafted ahead of him and used that for motivation as he entered his first season of pro baseball.
“You can always be motivated with how many picks went before I went. It’s just something I keep in the back of my mind,” Sykora said. “Other teams made the wrong decision and the Nationals made the right decision. For the rest of my career this is going to be my motivation.”
Sykora turned that fuel into pure dominance on the mound this past season, his first as a minor leaguer. He spent the year with the Fredericksburg Nationals, the single-A affiliate of the Nationals. He went 5-3 with a 2.33 ERA. He had 129 strikeouts in just 85 innings and only had 27 walks.
“I knew it was a big season coming the year after the draft,” said Sykora. “I was pretty motivated and I wanted to have a good season.”
It was better than a good season. Sykora was named the Nationals Minor League Pitcher of the Year and the Carolina League Pitcher of the Year. His best outing might have been his last one when he went five innings, gave up just one hit and struck out nine, helping his team with the Carolina League title.
“That was pretty special. I’m glad I got the start in that game,” Sykora said. “From the first pitch I made until the last pitch, it was tunnel vision, locked in. I felt so good and knew it was going to be a good day.”
Sykora credits his success this season to the daily routing he’s been adhering to for a while now. A routine we were able to see during a story back in 2022.
“I took the same routine to pro ball. Obviously it’s a much longer season so have to learn to adjust your routine,” said Sykora. “Sticking to the same process that got me here.”
Part of that process was traveling with an electric cooler so he could always have healthful food to eat. Sykora has come back to Texas for the offseason and after a little time off, he’ll return to that routine to get ready for the 2025 season. Another big year could help him move through the minor leagues and maybe get the call up to the majors sooner than later.
“Start where I left off next season and have a great year,” Sykora said. “Maybe next year is the year or the year after that. It’s up to what they’re thinking and how I perform.”
If Sykora stays on this path, the teams that passed on him in the draft will regret letting him slip to pick number 71.