The Washington Nationals shocked many with the No. 1 overall selection in the 2025 MLB Draft Sunday night, selecting Fort Cobb-Braxton HS shortstop Eli Willits.
Willits, like possible projected No. 1 pick Ethan Holliday, is an MLB legacy, as father Reggie played for the Angels and coached with the Yankees before becoming the Associate Head Coach at Oklahoma. Eli is a Sooners commit, where he would join older brother Jason, but was the youngest player in the Draft (17 years, 216 days) after reclassifying from the Class of 2026 and the No. 5 prospect according to MLB.com.
But he went No. 1, with a slot value of $11.08 million.
“Every kid’s dream is to be the No. 1 overall pick,” Willits told MLB.com Sunday night.d. “That’s just something I set my standards to. It’s what people say [about] the best pick in the Draft. If you go No. 1 overall, no one can go above you. I’m just grateful and thankful for God to put me in this situation.”
According to MLB.com’s Draft Tracker, Eli “draws some comparisons to Anthony Volpe with better physical tools at the same stage” bur is a “switch-hitter who's more proficient from the left side and is exceedingly polished at the plate for his age.”
“Eli was the top guy on our board. I would say he was our top guy throughout the process. We had our eye on him throughout,” Nationals interim general manager Mike DeBartolo told the media after the pick. “It's one of those nice things where the scouts and the analysts see things exactly the same way and saw him as the best hitter in the Draft, the best fielder in the Draft with just great makeup, great work ethic and all the intangibles. He was the guy we wanted all along, and we’re really excited that it worked out so well.”
The profile notes his ‘outstanding’ bat-to-ball skills and plate discipline, and that Willits ‘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 also has the chops to become a plus defender at short, with his arm strength and range earning solid marks, and he has plus speed – enough that he could also profile in center field.
Washington had two more picks on Day 1 of the MLB Draft, selecting South Carolina OF Ethan Petry at No. 49 overall in Round 2 and Mississippi HS RHP Landon Harmon at No. 80 overall in Round 3.