Eli Willits

Eli Willits

• Bats Both, Throws Right
• Height 6' 1", Weight 175 lb.
• High School Fort Cobb-Broxton High School

• Born December 9, 2007 in Fort Cobb, OK USA

BR Minors page

Biographical Information

Shortstop Eli Willits was the first overall pick of the 2025 amateur draft, taken by the Washington Nationals. He is the son of major league outfielder Reggie Willits and the brother of Jaxon Willits, who was named the Most Outstanding Player of the 2026 College World Series.

A switch-hitter, he was an outstanding player in high school at Fort Cobb-Broxton High School in Fort Cobb, OK and played on the USA U18 national team during the summer of 2024. He hit .473 with 8 homers and 34 RBIs as a senior and was named the top high school player in Oklahoma. He finished school a year early, as he was originally slated to be only eligible for the 2026 amateur draft, and had a commitment to attend the University of Oklahoma where his older brother, Jaxon Willits, was already playing. However, he was widely seen as a top-five pick in 2025, competing with Ethan Holliday, another second-generation player for the title of best high school player in the draft, and thus unlikely to go to college. Holliday was considered the most likely first overall pick, with a couple of college pitchers, Kade Anderson and Liam Doyle, also ranked ahead of him, but in the end the Nats decided to select him with their top pick, one week after replacing long-time General Manager Mike Rizzo with Mike DeBartolo, so his selection was seen as a bit of a surprise. At 17 years and 7 months, he was the youngest prospect eligible for the 2025 draft and became the youngest player to go first overall in the amateur draft since Ken Griffey Jr.

He is considered a true shortstop with both the hitting and fielding skills to play at the position. He was compared to a more advanced teenage version of Anthony Volpe. It did not take him long to come to a deal with Washington, as they signed him to a bonus of $8.2 million on July 19th. That was the biggest bonus ever for a high school player, bettering by a hair that given to Jackson Holliday, Ethan's brother and himself a first overall pick, three years earlier. He made his professional debut on August 21st, going 3 for 4 with a walk and a stolen base for the Fredericksburg Nationals of the Carolina League and hit .300 in 15 games that first season.

He started the 2026 season at Fredericksburg and hit .300 in 47 games before being promoted to the High-A Wilmington Blue Rocks of the South Atlantic League on June 9th.

Further Reading

• jessica Camerato: "New goal for No. 1 pick Willits? Make the Show by age 20", mlb.com, July 19, 2025. [1]
• Jason Foster: "Get to know No. 1 overall Draft pick Eli Willits", mlb.com, July 13, 2025. [2]
• Jason Foster and Jessica Camerato: "Nationals make 17-year-old Eli Willits No. 1 overall pick", mlb.com, July 13, 2025. [3]
• Charles Odum (Associated Press): "Nationals take high school shortstop Eli Willits, son of ex-MLBer Reggie, with No. 1 pick in draft", Yahoo! Sports, July 13, 2025. [4]