Nationals take high school shortstop Eli Willits, son of ex-MLBer Reggie, with No. 1 pick in draft - NBC Sports
Willits is seen by some as a surprise pick. He's the youngest player ever taken No. 1 overall.
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Brentley Romine,
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A mix of youth and chemistry has Red Sox rolling into All-Star break on 10-game winning streak
Associated Press,
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Associated Press,
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Simmons: ‘If there’s a chance, I go for it’
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Nationals take high school shortstop Eli Willits, son of ex-MLBer Reggie, with No. 1 pick in draft
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Associated Press,
By
Associated Press
Published July 13, 2025 06:39 PM
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ATLANTA — The Washington Nationals selected Oklahoma high school shortstop Eli Willits on Sunday night with the No. 1 pick in Major League Baseball’s amateur draft in a selection seen by some as a surprise.
The 17-year-old Willits is the youngest player ever taken No. 1 overall. He’s the son of ex-big leaguer Reggie Willits, who played six seasons with the Los Angeles Angels and also coached with the New York Yankees.
Willits, from Fort Cobb-Broxton High School, is a switch-hitter who is expected to develop a power swing.
“I feel like I have good hitability and I’m going to take that to the next level,” Willits said when asked about his strengths. “And I feel like my power is up and coming, but I needed to get into an organization like the Nationals that can help develop that and take that to the next level.
The draft came one week after the Nationals fired longtime general manager Mike Rizzo and manager Dave Martinez. The timing of the moves added more uncertainty to a draft that might be one of the most unpredictable in recent years, including the choice of the No. 1 pick.
Rating: 5