Top prospect Travis Sykora is a wild card for the Washington Nationals in 2027

Federal Baseball's Sam Sallick argues that Washington Nationals pitching prospect Travis Sykora could serve as a wild card for the team during the 2027 season. Sykora is preparing to return to the mound after undergoing Tommy John surgery in July 2025. Across his minor league career, the right-hander recorded a 2.14 ERA alongside 208 strikeouts over 130.1 innings pitched.

Sallick projects Sykora to begin 2027 in Double-A before potentially reaching the major leagues as a bullpen reinforcement late in the year. Because Sykora was 19 when drafted, he is Rule 5 eligible and must be added to the 40-man roster. While projecting him as a future top-of-the-rotation starter by 2028, Sallick notes a potential lockout could temporarily delay his development.