Eli Willits
Eli Willits is an American professional baseball shortstop in the Washington Nationals organization. He was drafted first overall Major League Baseball [draft">List of first overall Major League Baseball draft picks">first overall Major League Baseball [draft picks|first overall] by the Nationals in the 2025 MLB draft.
Career
Willits attended Fort Cobb-Broxton High School in Fort Cobb, Oklahoma. In the summer of 2024, he played for the USA Baseball 18U team. As a senior in 2025, he was The Oklahoman’s 2025 All-State Player of the Year after hitting.516 with nine home runs, 33 runs batted in and 48 stolen bases.Willits reclassified from the 2026 to 2025 class. He was a top prospect for the 2025 Major League Baseball draft. He is committed to play college baseball at the University of Oklahoma.
In the 2025 MLB draft, Willits was selected first overall by the Washington Nationals, becoming the third-youngest player in MLB draft history to be selected first overall. He signed with Washington for a below-slot $8.2 million signing bonus on July 19, 2025.