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Scouting grades: Fastball: 70 | Slider: 55 | Splitter: 60 | Control: 50 | Overall: 50 Texas hasn't placed a prep pitcher in the first round since 2018, but Sykora could put an end to that dry spell. He has the biggest fastball in the high school class, reaching triple digits on the showcase circuit while showing he was more than just a flamethrower. He was arguably the most dominant pitcher at both the PDP League and the Area Code Games.Sykora's fastball not only parks at 95-98 mph and can reach 101, but it also comes with a flat approach angle and late arm-side run. He shows the aptitude to locate and miss bats with both of his secondary pitches, which could become plus offerings when fully developed. His short slider and his splitter both sit in the mid-80s, and the latter dives when it approaches the plate. Both physical and athletic, Sykora repeats his sound delivery well and pounded the strike zone last summer against top competition. Scouts praise his intelligence and work ethic, and there's still projection remaining in his 6-foot-6 frame. A Texas recruit, he'll be Draft-eligible as a 21-year-old sophomore in 2025 if he attends college.
Sykora is probably the hardest-throwing high school pitcher in the draft class, hitting 100 mph last summer and sitting 96-98 mph with some arm-side run, pairing it with a plus splitter that has hard tumble. He’s huge at 6-foot-6, 220 pounds, but has a super-short arm action where his arm is extremely late relative to his front leg landing, which might be why his slider has velocity but not much bite or tilt. He’s 19 already, which will hurt him in analytical models and means he’ll be draft-eligible in two years if he ends up at the University of Texas. He’s one for teams that value size and arm strength over delivery or breaking stuff.
Sykora has an impressive track record for a prep arm. It's an unconventional delivery and he doesn't utilize his lower half a ton, though he still manages to throw gas. He's been up to 100 MPH in the past, though this spring he's primarily been in the 93-98 MPH range with the fastball, showcasing solid life through the zone. The slider/cutter hybrid sits in the mid-80's and he can manipulate the shape of the pitch to garner swings-and-misses, though his change-up is the best secondary. It's a vulcan-change grip that dives away from lefties and runs in on the hands of righties. - Tyler Jennings
Looks like Sykora will sign:https://twitter.com/dennisonfox7/status/1678559517406113794?s=20
https://twitter.com/jimcallismlb/status/1680981408477528064?s=46&t=Q_qc3R_qyMHAAFvlywNqzQGot it done
$2.6 million, or roughly $1.6 million over slot. Because he had to be bought out of a Texas commitment, it was always going to be well over slot. Is there a running total on how much money is left in the Nats pool?
Curious as to what the expectations are, for a HS pitcher's first year, regarding work load/innings and such. i don't remember the Nats drafting a a healthy HS pitcher and how they handled him.
Most modern pitchers have “pretty mechanics,” as Sykora put it. Sykora’s pitching style is anything but. He has an unorthodox delivery with a big leg kick and jokes that it has “elbows and knees flying everywhere.” That leg kick? The 6-foot-6 Sykora stole it from Ryan, who played before he was even born.In their meeting, Ryan told Sykora to be comfortable with throwing a lot — not just during games but on the days between starts. Sykora didn’t pitch last summer so he could stay healthy ahead of the draft. A right-hander like Ryan, Sykora spent months that followed at the Nationals’ spring training facility in West Palm Beach and threw in only a few instructional games. Sykora, who grew up in a minor league baseball town, said this year he’s looking forward to playing affiliated ball.“The biggest thing I learned from him was just how hard he worked and the amount of time he put into his game and then the mind-set he had,” Sykora said of Ryan. “He just wanted to beat everybody, and that’s what he did.”
Not on any ML roster to start the year, so I assume he'll be at rookie ball.
This says extended spring training. Hurt? https://www.mlb.com/news/where-nationals-top-prospects-are-starting-2024-season
GCL starts in May, so everyone not on a roster this week will be XST until then.
Sykora is reporting to Fredricksburg! He will skip the FCL.
2 innings, 3 Ks, 4 hits, 1 walk, 3 rund (2 ER)
