Washington Nationals Pitching Prospect Made Incredible Strides This Past Season
There is a lot of excitement surrounding the Washington Nationals as their young core started to emerge and produce at the Major League level during the 2024 season.
Most of the attention has been placed on their impressive group of hitters, which is headlined by left fielder James Wood and right fielder Dylan Crews.
One of the prizes of the Juan Soto trade package from the San Diego Padres, Wood hit the ground running after making his debut on July 1. He has the look of a future middle-of-the-order masher, standing an intimidating 6’7” and weighing 234 pounds with impressive athleticism.
It hasn’t translated to the field, where he has a lot of work to do with the glove. But, he didn’t look overmatched at the plate and has star potential.
The same can be said about Crews, who is currently the No. 1 ranked prospect in the sport. His debut wasn’t as dynamic, but the skill set to develop into the face of the franchise is there.
Shortstop CJ Abrams and second baseman Luis Garcia Jr. are one of the better young duos up the middle in the infield. In center field, Jacob Young is already a Gold Glove-caliber fielder, giving him a solid floor.
Where the team could use some help, immediately and in the future, is on the pitching mound.
MacKenzie Gore, another part of the Soto package along with Abrams, has the tools to be an ace. He showed that potential out of the gate, had a brutal summer, and then regained the star form down the stretch.
Jake Irvin was a solid No. 2 behind him, proving to be a workhorse that takes the ball every time his turn comes up in the order. Rookies Mitchell Parker and DJ Herz had larger roles than anticipated but handled things well.
While he isn’t likely to help in 2025, the Nationals can at least rest easy knowing they have a potential top-of-the-rotation arm developing in their Minor League system in Travis Sykora.
Over at MLB.com, he was selected as the team’s prospect who improved their stock the most during the 2024 campaign, as he dominated in Single-A in his first full season in the minors.
“There was a lot to like about Sykora coming out of the Draft, starting with the third-rounder's size at 6-foot-6. But the Texas native proved to be more than just projection in his first full season as he led the Minors (min. 80 IP) with a 39.2 percent strikeout rate for Single-A Fredericksburg. Sykora's 95-98 mph fastball can be a plus-plus pitch while his splitter and slider add to the swing-and-miss. The combination of results and stuff pushed him comfortably into the Top 100.”
The No. 2 prospect in the Washington system, he is ranked No. 79 in all of baseball. A third-round pick in the 2023 MLB Draft, he has proven rapidly that the hype surrounding him is legitimate.
With three above-average pitches already in his arsenal, he could move through the minors rapidly. Only 20 years old, he has a Major League ETA of 2027.
