Texas RHP signee Travis Sykora selected No. 71 by the Washington Nationals

The top signee for the Texas Longhorns in the 2023 recruiting class is now off the board in this year’s MLB Draft, as the Washington Nationals selected Round Rock right-hander Travis Sykora with the 71st pick, the first of the third round.

The No. 40 overall prospect in the draft by MLB.com, Sykora signed with Texas last fall and is considered the No. 29 player in the 2023 class by Perfect Game.

”Texas has always been my dream school and they compete with the best and that’s where I want to be,” Sykora said when he signed.

Because of a fastball that reaches triple digits and a projectable 6’6 frame, Sykora has long ranked as the most likely signee in the Texas class to opt for professional baseball and that didn’t change on Monday despite Sykora’s modest slide down the draft board.

The slot bonus for the 71st pick is $1.02 million — expect Sykora to receive more than that to ink with the Nats after the franchise selected LSU outfielder Dylan Crews and Miami third baseman YoYo Morales with earlier picks.

A tweet from Sykora on Monday evening seemed to confirm that he’ll sign with Washington.