Prime Highlights
- Washington Nationals selected 17-year-old shortstop Eli Willits with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 MLB Draft.
- Second-youngest all-time to be a first-overall draft choice, behind only 1987’s Ken Griffey Jr.
Key Facts
- Just 17 years and 216 days old, Willits was one of the youngest No. 1 draft picks in history.
- Typically seen as having elite fielding, contact skills, speed, and baseball IQ.
Key Background
The Washington Nationals shocked in the 2025 MLB Draft by taking high school shortstop Eli Willits with their No. 1 overall pick. The pick was just a week or so after the team said goodbye to GM Mike Rizzo and manager Dave Martinez, instead of introducing interim GM Mike DeBartolo to guide the team forward. It would seem that the Nationals are more interested in long-term prospects and internal production in their rebuilding.
Eli Willits, a 2026 draft defector, played at Fort Cobb-Broxton High School in Oklahoma. Willits is a switch-hitter with good plate presence and command of the plate. He had a phenomenal .516 batting average, 9 home runs, 48 stolen bases, 33 RBIs, and a .602 on-base with four strikeouts in 128 plate appearances during last season.
Defensively, Willits is a stifler. His plus arm, good footwork, and infield IQ are the best of the day’s MLB prospects. Scouts also adore his work ethic and natural leadership abilities, throwing in a player who is not only talented but also a future clubhouse type lock.
The Nationals’ willingness to go all-out in paying top dollar for high-upside young players with this pick. Willits is the first shortstop high school draftee ever drafted No. 1 since 1987 and third shortstop ever drafted first overall. His potential has been likened to Ken Griffey Jr. and Anthony Volpe. The University of Oklahoma recruited him in college, and it is likely that the Nationals will sign him for a large bonus to attempt to sign his services.
Willits’ father, Reggie Willits, was a retired MLB outfielder and former coach, so he’s another baseball-vulnerable tradition-builder in the family too. In the limelight of glory, Eli Willits is the new-shiny start and the gamble on which the Nationals’ future hangs.
