On Sunday night in Atlanta, the Washington Nationals selected Eli Willits with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 MLB Draft. The 17-year-old shortstop from Fort Cobb-Broxton High School in Oklahoma became the franchise’s third top overall selection, joining Stephen Strasburg (2009) and Bryce Harper (2010). Willits doesn’t carry the same immediate stardom due to his age, but he might be the most mature high school player to enter the draft since Harper, and he’s the youngest No. 1 pick since Ken Griffey Jr.
Willits is a player Washington can build around. The question is: how long do they plan to wait before moving him in?
Willits is rooted in baseball bloodlines. His father, Reggie Willits, played outfield in the majors and coached in the Yankees’ dugout. His brother, Jaxon, plays shortstop for Oklahoma. Eli grew up fielding grounders with professionals and training alongside college players, and his maturity reflects it.
Willits was noted as the best defender going into the draft with clean footwork, elite range, and a quick release. With true shortstop traits, scouts praise him as “instinctive” and “tireless.” Offensively, he brings a switch-hitting bat, a high contact rate, and excellent plate discipline. He has a leader mentality, with his six state titles in Oklahoma and his experience with Team USA.
Willits has drawn comparisons to Anthony Volpe with better lateral range, and he may have the cleanest defensive profile of any prep shortstop in the last five years. His age brings its complications. Willits has publicly stated his goal to reach the majors by age 20. Even in the best-case scenario, that means a debut in 2028. More likely: somewhere between 2028 and 2030.
That timeline quietly redefines the Nationals’ present.
Washington’s current youth core is dazzling and precarious. Three players stand out as foundational pieces:
| Player | Free Agency Year | 2025 Status |
| MacKenzie Gore | 2027 | All-Star, age 26 |
| CJ Abrams | 2028 | Rising Star, age 24 |
| James Wood | 2030 | All-Star, age 22 |
They’ve been the Nationals’ rare bright spot on the field and marketed as future cornerstones, but none of them have signed extensions. Now, with Willits in the pipeline:
The Nationals are threading a needle, and the longer they wait, the greater the chance there is that their current core ages out before Willits is ready.
The Nationals haven’t picked first overall since the back-to-back strikes that landed them Strasburg and Harper. Both were immediate contributors. Willits is a patient bet, and his expected underslot signing below the $11.08 million slot value suggests flexibility, but also frugality.
It’s not just this draft. The Nationals have zigzagged between upside and uncertainty with recent top picks:
| Player | Draft Year | Pick No. | Status in 2025 |
| Brady House | 2021 | 11th | MLB debut this June; trending upward |
| Elijah Green | 2022 | 5th | Struggling in FCL; 44% K rate |
| Dylan Crews | 2023 | 2nd | Injured but on MLB roster |
| Eli Willits | 2025 | 1st | Highest upside, longest timeline |
The Nationals’ recent top selections have ranged from players like Brady House and Dylan Crews, who have become a bright spot, flashing power, and settling in defensively. The other end of the spectrum is Elijah Green, who the Nats selected with a similar strategy to Willits, save money on early picks and spend on later round picks. Green’s development has stalled, and despite elite speed and arm strength, his strikeout rate has ballooned to 44%, and he’s now ranked 21st in the system.
Willits is a better bet: He’s more polished than Green was at the same age, with a cleaner swing and far fewer red flags. Will he pan out like Green or more like House or Crews, though?
The contrast is telling. Green was once seen as a five-tool phenom. Now, he’s a project. Willits, though younger, is already more refined, and that’s why his selection feels like a course correction.
Even with his maturity, Willits is still 17. If the rebuild hinges on his arrival, the Nationals may be signaling that they’re not planning to compete until the end of the decade.
Willits may be the perfect pick, but the backdrop reveals a franchise at a fork in the road. After firing longtime GM Mike Rizzo and opting against Scott Boras’ clients in the draft, the organization seems to be prioritizing cost control and long-term vision over present-day ambition.
Two paths lie ahead:
Right now, Washington seems to be leaning towards no path at all. Fans are staring down a possible competitive gap from 2025 to 2028 and hoping it’s worth it.
Willits might anchor the next great Nationals team. He might also debut into a clubhouse full of strangers, while the stars’ fans were told to believe in walking away.
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