Follow the Prospects:Eli Willits, SS

[imref]

DOB: 12/09/2007
B/T: S/R
6' 1", 180
Drafted #1 overall by the Nationals in the 2025 MLB draft

MLB.com scouting report:

Scouting grades: Hit: 60 | Power: 45 | Run: 60 | Arm: 55 | Field: 55 | Overall: 60

Willits comes from a baseball family, with father Reggie playing in the big leagues before coaching with the Yankees and returning to his alma mater as the associate head coach at Oklahoma -- where Eli's brother, Jaxon, is starring as a sophomore. Willits also is committed to the Sooners but is unlikely to get to Norman because he's a slam-dunk early first-rounder after reclassifying from the 2026 class. He draws some comparisons to Anthony Volpe with better physical tools at the same stage, and he'll likely be the youngest true prospect in the 2025 crop at 17 years, 7 months on Draft Day. In three years at Fort Cobb-Broxton HS, he won six state Class B championships (three fall, three spring).

A switch-hitter who's more proficient from the left side, Willits is exceedingly polished at the plate for his age. He has outstanding bat-to-ball skills, making consistent line-drive contact while rarely straying from the strike zone. He may never have more than average raw power, but his hitting ability should enable him to tap into most of it and provide 15 homers per season.

Willits has the nonstop motor and instincts to get the most out of his physical tools. He plays quicker than his plus speed and earns solid grades for his arm strength and defensive play at shortstop, and scouts won't be shocked if those both become pluses once he's fully developed. There's no reason he shouldn't stay at shortstop but he'd also profile well in center field.

Video:


Five things to know about Eli Willits:
https://www.mlb.com/news/eli-willits-guide

Baseball America:

Willits has one of the better all-around profiles of any player in the 2025 class. A 6-foot-1, 175-pound shortstop, Willits is a switch-hitter who is an impactful player on both sides of the baseball. He has a short and compact swing from both sides of the plate and has shown the ability to spray line drives from foul line to foul line. Willits boasts a polished approach to go along with an advanced feel for the barrel and high-level pitch recognition skills.

Willits is a hit-over-power profile right now, but he has enough bat speed and physical projection to potentially develop average power to go along with his already-above-average hit tool.

Willits is a plus runner and a good athlete who’s an above-average defender at shortstop. He has plenty of range to either side with an above-average arm and great body control. Willits is comfortable attacking the baseball, throwing on the run and from different slots. His advanced baseball sense shows up across all facets of the game, including on the basepaths, where he’s an effective basestealer.

Willits comes from a baseball family, as his dad Reggie was an outfielder for seven years with the Angels and is now the associate head coach at Oklahoma. His brother Jaxon—a potential top 100 overall prospect in next year’s draft—is the Sooners’ starting shortstop.

ESPN pre-draft scouting report:

3. Eli Willits (17.6), SS, Fort Cobb-Broxton HS (OK), Oklahoma commit

Hit: 30/60, Game Power: 20/45, Raw Power: 40/50, Speed: 60/55, Fielding: 45/55, Throwing: 55/55

Where he ranks in an MLB top 100 prospects list: 37

If it doesn't work out, what happened? His athleticism backs up a tick and he's a 10-15 homer type playing second base.

I've written a lot about Willits this spring, from detailing why he's in the mix at the top of the draft despite medium tools and profiling him and fellow Oklahoman Holliday's journey to this point -- like how Willits moved hay bales on his family's ranch the day before I spoke to him. The short version is Willits is another in the line of medium-framed, medium-tooled players with excellent performance and skills that the industry tends to overlook.

I pounded the drum about this with Kevin McGonigle and hit a home run on that call; he's now a top-15 prospect in the game after getting the 31st-highest bonus in the 2023 draft as the 37th pick after I ranked him 21st predraft.

Willits is younger, faster and a better defender than McGonigle at the same point, so there's even more here. Willits' upside is becoming one of the better hitters for average and on-base in the majors, with 20/20 potential as a shortstop -- still not the face of the sport but one of the top 20 players in the league.

[tomterp]

Bleacher Report:

Among this year's high school shortstop class, Eli Willits does not have the best hit tool (Kayson Cunningham), best power (Ethan Holliday), best speed (Steele Hall) or best glove (Billy Carlson), but he might have the most complete combination of those tools.

"While there are players in the 2025 class with louder individual tools or bigger power upside than Willits, it’s difficult to point to another player who has a game as well-rounded," reads his scouting report at Baseball America.

His power is the only tool that currently profiles as below-average, and with his 60-grade hit tool and terrific bat-to-ball skills, it's still reasonable to think he can run into 15 home runs per season.

Throw in his MLB bloodlines—his father, Reggie Willits, spent six seasons with the Angels and is currently on the coaching staff at Oklahoma—and there might not be a more well-rounded prospect in the entire 2025 draft class.

He should have no problem sticking at shortstop, but also has the speed and athleticism to profile well in center field if that makes more sense from an organizational standpoint.

A lot is made about future projection and long-term upside on draft day, but Willits stands out for his high floor and complete overall game that makes him a safe bet to become an impact big leaguer.

https://bleacherreport.com/articles/25223181-mlb-draft-2025-scouting-report-eli-willits-nationals-pick-no-1

[Natsinpwc]

I grew up near Willits Road.  So that is what I will call him.

[IdahoNat]

Jacob Young 2.0

[SkinsNatFan21RIP]

He might not have the best of anything in this draft but hey, let’s pick him first overall. If Ethan Holliday ends up being a star and this guy is just another Jacob Young this is going to hurt.

[Smithian]

Is there any similarity between Willits and Jacob Young other than they're both Caucasian?

Jacob Young was a collegiate OF available in the seventh round. He's never hit quite enough to go along with his plus defense and plus base running (which has gone to crap this year). Also, Jacob Young through 254 career games is at 4.0 fWAR. I wish every "bad" player had that production!

Eli Willits has a 60 hit tool and projects to hold up at SS. His hit and power tools are way about Jacob Young. People are acting like the Nats took a scrub. He was a top 5 talent in this draft.

Can we separate out the "Lerners are cheap" convo from the Eli W convo?

[imref]

Grant Paulson says he heard that at least two other teams had Willits rated as the overall #1.

[NatsLSU]

The Pirates and A’s?

[Smithian]

The Pirates and A’s?

Let's hope! Konnor Griffin, Nick Kurtz, Paul Skenes, or Jacob Wilson returns

I was high on Jamie Arnold and other were high on Seth Herndandez

[nobleisthyname]

He might not have the best of anything in this draft but hey, let’s pick him first overall. If Ethan Holliday ends up being a star and this guy is just another Jacob Young this is going to hurt.

Are you surprised that of the four players who had the "best" tool only one went in the first four picks (and #4 at that)? Willits was a consensus top-5 pick and #1 on a few boards. Holliday has major question marks. It's a very defensible pick in my opinion.

[Smithian]

Thom Loverro threw a fit about this pick https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2025/jul/15/loverro-nationals-needed-draft-player-help-core-stars-distant-future/

Am I only person who thinks the idea of drafting a quick fix player #1 overall is insane? In the draft where it's hardest to project impact?

I was good loading up on college players in the 2010's since Nats were knocking on the door and reinforcements were vital. But right now the Nats are definitively not good and I see no reason to pick Anderson because he may be up sooner. If we were floating around .500, I'd probably have leaned Anderson. But we're not .500, we just fired baseball leadership, and things are grim. Maybe Kade Anderson develops into a passable mid-rotation starter in a couple years, but I don't think he can change a franchise alone. I'm fine with Nationals going upside here.

[JCA-CrystalCity]

I get valuing him ahead of Holliday and Anderson. W/r/t Anderson, there's injury risk and lower upside. Doyle would have been interesting. I think the next SS is in the system, whether it's Dickerson or Willits, and Willits should find a place to play before 2028 while Wood, House, and Crews are here

[Slateman]

Thom Loverro threw a fit about this pick https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2025/jul/15/loverro-nationals-needed-draft-player-help-core-stars-distant-future/

Am I only person who thinks the idea of drafting a quick fix player #1 overall is insane? In the draft where it's hardest to project impact?

No. Several of us were not on board with this philosophy.

[Slateman]

I get valuing him ahead of Holliday and Anderson. W/r/t Anderson, there's injury risk and lower upside. Doyle would have been interesting. I think the next SS is in the system, whether it's Dickerson or Willits, and Willits should find a place to play before 2028 while Wood, House, and Crews are here

The direct comp is Holliday and we will be comparing him with Holliday for a while. Willits seems to be a peak of prime Edgar Rentaria. And if that's what he is, that's pretty awesome. With the new rules, I could see Willits getting to 25-30 stolen bases and hitting for somewhat less power than Trea did.

The thing that makes this interesting is that Holliday's biggest strength is one of the two most expensive things in baseball: Home runs (strikeouts being the other). This dude could be a 30-40 home run bat. There is a world where we could have had Wood, Holliday, and House combining for 100-120 home runs. But there's a ton of risk here.

And, let's be honest, Scott Boras played a heavy hand here. Yes, the draft is stacked with high school talent. But The first two teams went wildly different directions than most everyone was expecting.

[HondoKillebrew]

The direct comp is Holliday and we will be comparing him with Holliday for a while. Willits seems to be a peak of prime Edgar Rentaria. And if that's what he is, that's pretty awesome. With the new rules, I could see Willits getting to 25-30 stolen bases and hitting for somewhat less power than Trea did.

The thing that makes this interesting is that Holliday's biggest strength is one of the two most expensive things in baseball: Home runs (strikeouts being the other). This dude could be a 30-40 home run bat. There is a world where we could have had Wood, Holliday, and House combining for 100-120 home runs. But there's a ton of risk here.

And, let's be honest, Scott Boras played a heavy hand here. Yes, the draft is stacked with high school talent. But The first two teams went wildly different directions than most everyone was expecting.

If Boras really was a factor, doesn’t that signal that the Lerners expect to own the team at least long enough for a second contract situation to be relevant to them?

[IdahoNat]

His dad actually is pretty close to a Jacob Young clone. He never hit a homerun his entire career and was mostly a fourth outfielder pinch runner replacement. I'm sure he'll be a much better hitter than Jacob Young but taking someone who "may" hit 15 homers a season as the first overall pick just doesn't excite me.

[varoadking]

If Boras really was a factor, doesn’t that signal that the Lerners expect to own the team at least long enough for a second contract situation to be relevant to them?

And/or...that having a roster full of Boras clients will be a turn-off to prospective buyers...

[RD]

Willits is a full year younger than Jackson Holliday at draft time. When you consider that Holliday wasn't in discussion for the top pick a year before, the "hype" around Willits is legit. I think Holliday is the closest comp of recent players and he'll have a year head start as a pro. I love the younger kids when they're drafted, as opposed to the 19 year olds mashing in HS. Corbin Carroll had a 45 grade power tool when he was coming up, as well. I have no issues with him at 1, especially if it brings in the signings of the HS guys later.

[Slateman]

Willits is a full year younger than Jackson Holliday at draft time. When you consider that Holliday wasn't in discussion for the top pick a year before, the "hype" around Willits is legit. I think Holliday is the closest comp of recent players and he'll have a year head start as a pro. I love the younger kids when they're drafted, as opposed to the 19 year olds mashing in HS. Corbin Carroll had a 45 grade power tool when he was coming up, as well. I have no issues with him at 1, especially if it brings in the signings of the HS guys later.

Holliday was definitely in the discussion

https://www.mlb.com/news/2025-mlb-mock-draft?t=mlb-draft-coverage

[imref]

Willits is a full year younger than Jackson Holliday at draft time. When you consider that Holliday wasn't in discussion for the top pick a year before, the "hype" around Willits is legit. I think Holliday is the closest comp of recent players and he'll have a year head start as a pro. I love the younger kids when they're drafted, as opposed to the 19 year olds mashing in HS. Corbin Carroll had a 45 grade power tool when he was coming up, as well. I have no issues with him at 1, especially if it brings in the signings of the HS guys later.

Read the first post in the 2025 MLB draft thread.

https://www.wnff.net/index.php?topic=41556.0

[RD]

Should've been clear. I was referring to Jackson Holiday. Willits is a full year younger than Jackson Holliday was on draft day when he was selected. Jackson used a strong Spring of his senior year, at 18 years old, to push his way to the top. Willits did it at 17, when Holliday wasn't even in the discussion at that age.

[Smithian]

His dad actually is pretty close to a Jacob Young clone. He never hit a homerun his entire career and was mostly a fourth outfielder pinch runner replacement. I'm sure he'll be a much better hitter than Jacob Young but taking someone who "may" hit 15 homers a season as the first overall pick just doesn't excite me.

If he has a plus hit tool and is a plus defender at short stop, which is where his potential is, then 15 home runs is enough power, since it likely means he'll have doubles aplenty.

We keep using Jacob Young as an insult, but he is at 4.0 fWAR in 254 career games. If he didn't this season forget how to run the bases, that would be higher. Not a bad player, if unexciting!

[Slateman]

If he has a plus hit tool and is a plus defender at short stop, which is where his potential is, then 15 home runs is enough power, since it likely means he'll have doubles aplenty.

We keep using Jacob Young as an insult, but he is at 4.0 fWAR in 254 career games. If he didn't this season forget how to run the bases, that would be higher. Not a bad player, if unexciting!

That's ~2.3 over a full season (155ish games). That's not exactly killing it for a number 1 overall pick. And thats assuming he's as good at shortstop defense as Young is in CF

[imref]

NationalsSource says Willits is signing tomorrow and heading to Florida next week. Maybe an intro at Nats park tomorrow?

[nobleisthyname]

That's ~2.3 over a full season (155ish games). That's not exactly killing it for a number 1 overall pick. And thats assuming he's as good at shortstop defense as Young is in CF

It also assumes his bat will be as bad.