ATLANTA — Recent off an organizational switch-up, the Washington Nationals made a shock choice with the primary choose of the MLB Draft on Sunday, deciding on 17-year-old shortstop Eli Willits.
Per week after basic supervisor Mike Rizzo and supervisor Dave Martinez had been fired amidst the franchise’s sixth straight shedding season, the staff hopes Willits — a Fort Cobb, Oklahoma native — can spark a return to glory for the 2019 World Collection champs.
With most pundits predicting LSU pitcher Kade Anderson or highschool shortstop Ethan Holliday to be the primary alternative, the Nationals went a special route with Willits. As a senior in 2025, Willits hit .516 with 9 dwelling runs, 33 runs, RBIs and 48 stolen bases. Initially a member of the 2026 class, Willits reclassified and was dedicated to the College of Oklahoma.
After final 12 months’s draft did not see a highschool participant chosen till ninth (Konnor Griffin to the Pirates), the Nationals made Willits the youngest high total choose in draft historical past at 17 years and 7 months previous.
“I am only a participant that is going to go on the market and provides the whole lot I’ve received, similar to everybody else,” Willits stated from dwelling after being chosen. “I really feel like I’ve a great hit means and am going to take that to the following degree. I really feel like my energy is up and coming, however I wanted to get into a corporation just like the Nationals, who can develop that and take me to the following degree.”
Willits was the Nationals’ first high choose since 2010, after they drafted Bryce Harper.
“We could not be extra excited,” Nationals interim basic supervisor Mike DeBartolo stated. “Eli is a particular participant. Nice hitting instruments. He makes contact, controls the strike zone. We love his swing. It is only a clear operation on the plate with creating energy. Then he is simply an elite shortstop, somebody that stays at shortstop. … You add on high of that the intangibles, his confidence, work ethic, simply maturity that is off the charts. You set all of that collectively, it is uncommon to get somebody that we expect is the very best hitter within the draft and the very best fielder within the draft. We felt it was a possibility we could not move up.”
The Los Angeles Angels adopted by drafting UC Santa Barbara right-hander Tyler Bremner, who struck out 111 batters in 77 1/3 innings as a junior for the Gauchos in 2025.
Anderson dropped to 3rd, the place the Mariners tabbed the Faculty World Collection Most Excellent Participant from LSU. Anderson went 12-1 with a 3.18 ERA in 19 begins in 2025. The 6-foot-2 Madisonville, La., native missed his total freshman season in 2023 whereas recovering from Tommy John Surgical procedure. Anderson then compiled a 16-3 report in 37 outings (28 begins) over his two faculty seasons. He was a First-Group All-American and Baseball America’s Nationwide Pitcher of the 12 months this season.
Holliday went fourth to the Colorado Rockies, 27 years after the franchise chosen his father Matt within the seventh spherical in 1998. The elder Holliday hit 130 of his 316 profession dwelling runs with the Rockies from 2004-08 earlier than returning to Denver for his ultimate season in 2018. Ethan, youthful brother of Jackson — the primary total choose by the Baltimore Orioles in 2022 — was Baseball America‘s 2025 Excessive Faculty Participant of the Yr at Stillwater Excessive Faculty, the place he posted a .611 batting common with 19 dwelling runs and 64 runs batted in (RBIs) in 33 video games.
Left-handed pitcher Liam Doyle out of the College of Tennessee was picked fifth by the St. Louis Cardinals, adopted by the third highschool participant to be chosen in Seth Hernandez (Corona HS in Calif.), a right-handed pitcher.
Oregon State star shortstop Aiva Arquette was picked by the Miami Marlins at seven, whereas Purvis Excessive Faculty (Miss.) JoJo Parker was chosen by the Toronto Blue Jays at eight.
The highschool theme continued to spherical out the highest 10, because the Cincinnati Reds tabbed Steele Corridor, a shortstop from Hewitt-Trussville Excessive Faculty (Ala.). Hernandez’s Corona Excessive teammate Billy Carlson, a shortstop, was picked tenth by the Chicago White Sox.
–Jack Batten, Subject Degree Media
