Nationals buck expectations, draft 17-year-old shortstop Willits with top pick

The Nationals defied expectations on Sunday night, drafting 17-year-old shortstop Eli Willits with the No. 1 pick in this year’s draft.

Willits, an Oklahoma native, was the youngest player in the class. He won’t turn 18 until December.

“Our scouting leadership have had their eye on Eli for a really long time,” Nationals interim general manager Mike DeBartolo said. “It was one of those nice things where the scouts and the analysts see things exactly the same way. We saw him as the best hitter in the draft, best fielder in the draft with the intangibles.”

The switch-hitter lacks the power of fellow high school prospect Ethan Holliday, but his maturity at the plate and ability to make contact turned scouts’ heads.

Hearing his name called first on Sunday wasn’t a surprise to Willits, he said. He wrote the goal in his Bible two years ago. 

“It’s every kid’s dream to be the No. 1 pick,” said Willits, who is the youngest top pick in MLB history. “What people say the best pick in the draft like, first overall, no one can go above you. I’m just grateful.”

The next goal? Reaching the big leagues “by the time I’m 20.” 

Willits’ father, former outfielder Reggie Willits, played in six MLB seasons from 2006 through 2011 with the Los Angeles Angels.

“When he was little, he was the shortest of my three boys,” the Willits patriarch said. “But it was like watching a rocket run through our house, so stinking fast.”

The elder Willits pivoted to coaching after his playing career, acting as the first base coach for the New York Yankees from 2018 through 2021 before becoming an assistant coach with the Oklahoma Sooners.

“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,” MLB Pipeline wrote of the Nationals’ top pick. “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.”

The steady bat — along with above-average speed and a solid glove — allowed the teen to rise up draft boards. MLB Pipeline ranked him as the fifth-best prospect entering the class. He trailed behind LSU pitcher Kade Anderson and another high school shortstop from Oklahoma: Ethan Holliday.

“He makes a routine play about as easy as you can see anybody making, much less a 17-year-old,” Danny Haas, the Nationals’ scouting director, said of Willits. “It’s just very soft, pure hands, educated, quick feet in all directions, and just a very compact, accurate, strong arm.”

Ethan Holliday, the younger brother of Baltimore Orioles second baseman Jackson Holliday, was picked fourth overall by the Colorado Rockies. The hard-hitting 17-year-old was rumored to be the first player selected, but slid after the Nationals added Willits.

“I’m just so thankful,” Ethan Holliday said. “Obviously with the family and the background and my dad being drafted by them, that just adds such a cool thing. And knowing everybody in the organization since I was born, I’m super thankful.”

While Anderson and Holliday were widely considered the favorites to top the draft class, Willits became a popular dark horse.

As a young prospect, several reports indicated that Willits may take a cheaper signing bonus, thus allowing the Nationals to spend more money on later draft picks.

The shake-up continued with the second pick. The Angels added right-handed pitcher Tyler Brenmer, a UC Santa Barbara product, next. 

Anderson fell to the third selection by the Seattle Mariners and was followed by Holliday at fourth by the Rockies.

The St. Louis Cardinals ended the top 5 by selecting Liam Doyle, a left-handed pitcher from the University of Tennessee. 

The selection was a major move for the Nationals and DeBartolo, who took on a new role on July 6 after team owner Mark Lerner fired then-general manager Mike Rizzo and longtime skipper Dave Martinez.  

DeBartolo, who has worked in the Nationals front office since 2012, promised to bring the organization into the future last week with a focus on advanced analytics. On Sunday, scouting reports and data brought Willits to the District.

The final decision was DeBartolo’s, though.

DeBartolo did not say when Willits became locked into the top pick. Rumors around the league indicated that Rizzo had his eyes on Holliday before the regime change. 

“I brought things I wanted to bring and things [scouting director Danny Haas] wanted to do. It’s been a really collaborative process,” Washington’s interim general manager said. “With the diversity of voices in the room, it’s that much easier when we’re seeing things the same way.”  

Willits joins impressive company as the third No. 1 pick in Nationals history. Stephen Strasburg, the top selection in 2009, was named World Series MVP in 2019 as he pitched the Nationals to their first championship.

Bryce Harper, the first pick in 2010, was named NL MVP as a National in 2015 before joining the rival Philadelphia Phillies and earning a second MVP in 2021.

The Baltimore Orioles held four picks in Sunday’s first round. They started with their original No. 19 selection, but added a pair of compensation picks due to departing free agents and a fourth choice in the competitive balance round via trade with the Tampa Bay Rays.

After the first three rounds on Sunday night, the MLB draft will conclude with the final 16 rounds on Monday.