Eli Willits
| Eli Willits | |
|---|---|
.png) Willits playing for the National League Futures in 2026 | |
| Washington Nationals | |
| Shortstop | |
| Born: December 9, 2007 Lawton, Oklahoma, U.S. | |
Bats: Switch Throws: Right | |
| Stats at Baseball Reference |
Eli Willits (born December 9, 2007) is an American professional baseball shortstop in the Washington Nationals organization. He was drafted first overall by the Nationals in the 2025 MLB draft.
Amateur career
[edit]Willits attended Fort Cobb-Broxton High School in Fort Cobb, Oklahoma. In the summer of 2024, he played for the USA Baseball 18U team.[1] As a senior in 2025, he was The Oklahoman’s 2025 All-State Player of the Year after hitting .516 with nine home runs, 33 runs batted in (RBI) and 48 stolen bases.[2]
Willits reclassified from the 2026 to 2025 class.[3] He was a top prospect for the 2025 Major League Baseball draft.[4] He committed to play college baseball at the University of Oklahoma.[5]
Professional career
[edit]In the 2025 MLB draft, Willits was selected first overall by the Washington Nationals, becoming the third-youngest player in MLB draft history to be selected first overall.[6] He signed with Washington for a below-slot $8.2 million signing bonus on July 19, 2025.[7]
Willits made his professional debut with the Single-A Fredericksburg Nationals and hit .300 with five RBI across 15 games.[8] He debuted in the MLB Pipeline Top 100 Prospects List at number 18.[9] He returned to Fredericksburg to open the 2026 season.[10] In the June 2026 MLB Pipeline List update, Willits moved up to number 3 in the rankings.[11] He was announced to play in the 2026 MLB All-Star Futures Game in Philadelphia.[12][13]
Personal life
[edit]Willits is the son of Amber Klugh and Reggie Willits, who played in Major League Baseball (MLB).[14]
References
[edit]- ↑ Sardis, Nick. "Fort Cobb-Broxton's Eli Willits, Stillwater's Ethan Holliday make USA Baseball 18U team". The Oklahoman.
- ↑ Fort Cobb-Broxton shortstop and MLB Draft prospect Eli Willits is The Oklahoman's 2025 All-State Player of the Year
- ↑ Eddy, Matt (July 13, 2025). "Eli Willits Makes MLB Draft History As Youngest No. 1 Pick Ever".
- ↑ Law, Keith (April 21, 2025). "MLB Draft 2025: Scouting Ethan Holliday, Eli Willits, JoJo Parker, other top HS talents" – via NYTimes.com.
- ↑ "Get to know No. 1 overall Draft pick Eli Willits". MLB.com.
- ↑ "Nationals make 17-year-old Eli Willits No. 1 overall pick". MLB.com.
- ↑ "Nationals Agree To Sign First Overall Pick Eli Willits". mlbtraderumors.com. Retrieved July 19, 2025.
- ↑ Camerato, Jessica. "Top pick Willits' maturity shines in Major League Spring Training debut". MLB.com. Retrieved May 9, 2026.
- ↑ "Top 100 Baseball Prospects". MLB.com. Archived from the original on August 24, 2025. Retrieved July 14, 2026.
- ↑ Nusbaum, Spencer (April 22, 2026). "How the Nationals plan to get their elite infield prospects to the majors". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved May 9, 2026.
- ↑ Dykstra, Sam (June 29, 2026). "NEW: Updated Top 100 Prospects list -- highest risers, new faces and more". MLB.com. Archived from the original on July 3, 2026. Retrieved July 14, 2026.
- ↑ "Willits, De Paula, Made among MLB All-Star Futures Game selections". ESPN.com. July 1, 2026. Archived from the original on July 1, 2026. Retrieved July 14, 2026.
- ↑ Law, Keith (July 2, 2026). "Jesús Made, Eli Willits among top prospects on loaded MLB Futures Game rosters". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved July 14, 2026.
- ↑ McDaniel, Kiley (July 1, 2025). "Inside the MLB draft journey for the sons of two former major leaguers". ESPN.com. Retrieved November 8, 2025.
External links
[edit]- Career statistics from MLB · Baseball Reference (Minors)